Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed on May 11 by Israel Defense Forces gunfire, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (HCDC) said on Friday. June 24, a spokesperson, Ravina Shamdasani.
“All the information we have gathered – including from the Israeli army and the Palestinian attorney general – supports the fact that the shots that killed Mr.me Abu Akleh and wounded his colleague Ali Sammoudi came from the Israeli security forces and not from indiscriminate fire from armed Palestinians, as the Israeli authorities initially claimed”said M.me Shamdasani, during a press briefing in Geneva.
‘We found no information to suggest that there was any activity by armed Palestinians near the journalists’she insisted, believing that he was “deeply disturbing that the Israeli authorities have not opened a judicial investigation”.
Other surveys with the same conclusions
The American-Palestinian journalist, star of the Al-Jazeera channel, was wearing a bulletproof jacket on which was written the word “press” and a protective helmet when she was hit by a bullet just below the cup of her helmet.
She was on the outskirts of the Jenin refugee camp, a stronghold of Palestinian armed factions, where Israeli forces were carrying out a raid. Several investigations, carried out by the chief Palestinian prosecutor or the American channel CNN, had also concluded that Mr.me Abu Akleh had been killed by Israeli fire.
“The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, continues to urge the Israeli authorities to open a criminal investigation into the murder of Ms.me Abu Akleh and all other killings and serious injuries committed by Israeli forces in the West Bank and in the context of law enforcement operations in Gaza”continued the spokesperson.
“No warning” or shooting
According to the HCDC, since the beginning of 2022, the Israeli army has killed fifty-eight Palestinians in the West Bank, including thirteen children. “International human rights law requires a prompt, thorough, transparent, independent and impartial investigation into any use of force resulting in death or serious injury. Authors must be held accountable”pointed out Mr.me Shamdasani.
“In line with our global human rights monitoring methodology, our office inspected photo, video and audio material, visited locations, consulted with experts, reviewed official communications and interviewed witnesses. », underlined the spokesperson. M’s servicesme Bachelet concluded that the journalists had chosen an approach “making them visible to the Israeli forces deployed in the streets”.
“Our findings show that no warnings were issued and no shootings were taking place at this time and place”said M.me Shamdasani, repeating that the journalists wore clearly marked protective equipment. It was then that several shots from the Israeli forces targeted them, she said.
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