NEW YORK – The United Nations in its report confirmed that the shots that killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and injured her colleague Ali Sammoudi were fired by Israeli security forces.
The Palestinian-American reporter was shot dead by Israeli army gunfire in the occupied West Bank on May 11, 2022 during the coverage of a military operation by Israel in Jenin Camp.
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani in her press briefing notes said that it has been more than six weeks to the killing of the journalist but “it is deeply disturbing that Israeli authorities have not conducted a criminal investigation”.
“We at the UN Human Rights Office have concluded our independent monitoring into the incident. 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,” read the notes.
She said that the rights body inspected photo, video and audio material, visited the scene, consulted experts, reviewed official communications and interviewed witnesses before reaching the conclusion.
According to findings, seven journalists, including Shireen Abu Akleh, arrived at the western entrance of the Jenin refugee camp soon after 6am.
At around 6:30 am, 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,” the findings said.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet continues to urge Israeli authorities to open a criminal investigation into Abu Akleh’s killing and into all other killings and serious injuries by Israeli forces in the West Bank and in the context of law enforcement operations in Gaza.
The UN human rights office has also verified that Israeli Security Forces have killed 58 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 13 children, since the start of this year.
Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory root cause of violence, says new UN report
