Israeli Soldiers Killed Palestinian-American Journalist, United Nations Concludes
Family and relatives attend the funeral of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh. Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images.
Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot dead by Israeli forces, the United Nations said on Friday.
The veteran journalist, who covered the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades as a correspondent for Al Jazeera, was shot in the head and killed last month while covering a military raid in the occupied West Bank.
Ravina Shamdasani, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, issued a statement on Friday summarizing their investigation into the shooting, which Israeli officials have blamed on Palestinian fighters. The Israeli military has said they will not be opening a criminal investigation into the killing.
Calling it “deeply disturbing” that Israel had not opened a criminal investigation, Shamdasani said the UN Human Rights Office has concluded its independent probe of the shooting.
Shamdasani summarized the UN’s conclusions — based on having “inspected photo, video and audio material, visited the scene, consulted experts, reviewed official communications and interviewed witnesses” — as follows:
All information we have gathered – including official information from the Israeli military and the Palestinian Attorney-General – is consistent with the finding that the shots that killed Abu Akleh and injured her colleague Ali Sammoudi came from Israeli Security Forces and not from indiscriminate firing by armed Palestinians, as initially claimed by Israeli authorities. We have found no information suggesting that there was activity by armed Palestinians in the immediate vicinity of the journalists.
The UN found that “several single, seemingly well-aimed bullets were fired” at a group of journalists that included Abu Akleh and her colleague Ali Sammoudi, who was struck in the shoulder. The group of journalists were clearly identified by “PRESS” flak jackets:
At around 06h30, as four of the journalists turned into the street leading to the camp, wearing bulletproof helmets and flak jackets with “PRESS” markings, several single, seemingly well-aimed bullets were fired towards them from the direction of the Israeli Security Forces. One single bullet injured Ali Sammoudi in the shoulder, another single bullet hit Abu Akleh in the head and killed her instantly. Several further single bullets were fired as an unarmed man attempted to approach Abu Akleh’s body and another uninjured journalist sheltering behind a tree. Shots continued to be fired as this individual eventually managed to carry away Abu Akleh’s body.
Investigations by news outlets have reached similar conclusions. An extensive Washington Post probe of the shooting found “an Israeli soldier in the convoy likely shot and killed Abu Akleh.” The Post also disputed claims from Israeli officials that Palestinian fighters exchanged fire with the Israeli military convoy.
The New York Times found the same: “A monthlong investigation by The New York Times found that the bullet that killed Ms. Abu Akleh was fired from the approximate location of the Israeli military convoy, most likely by a soldier from an elite unit.”
A group of 24 senators led by Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) wrote a letter to President Joe Biden on Thursday calling for a U.S. involvement in the investigation into the shooting.
