The Uinted Nations has called for ‘independent investigation’ after Al Jazeera says Shireen Abu Akleh was ‘assassinated in cold blood’.
Calls have grown for an independent and impartial investigation into the killing of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead m as she covered an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank, putting the spotlight on Israeli attacks on Palestinian journalists.
The Qatar-based TV channel said in a statement on Wednesday that Abu Akleh, 51, was “assassinated in cold blood” by “the Israeli occupation forces”.
Another Al Jazeera journalist, producer Ali al-Samudi, was wounded in the incident in which both wore helmets and vests marked “Press”. He later said no Palestinian fighters were nearby, stressing that otherwise “we would not have gone into the area”.
Majid Awais, a witness, told AFP that Abu Akleh “turned in panic” when she saw her colleague al-Samudi was shot, and that she was struck by the fatal bullet moments later.
Her death came nearly a year after an Israeli air strike destroyed a Gaza building that housed the offices of Al Jazeera and news agency AP.
The Palestinian Authority said it held Israel “responsible” for the killing of Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American, who was hit by a bullet in the head during an Israeli operation in the Jenin refugee camp.
The Hamas movement, which governs the Gaza Strip, condemned the killing “in the strongest terms,” calling it an “assassination”.
The European Union urged an “independent” investigation into her death, as the office of the UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said it was “appalled”, and also called for “an independent, transparent investigation”.
Meanwhile, the United States envoy to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, called for the killing to be “transparently investigated”.
‘Thorough and independent’
Commenting on the developments, former Al Jazeera English journalist Ayman Mohideen, who worked closely with Abu Akleh while reporting from Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, said the US government should push for an independent investigation into the killing of Abu Akleh, who was also a US citizen.
“The most important thing is that if they [US authorities] want to see an investigation, it has to be thorough and independent,” said Mohideen.
Speaking from the UN headquarters in New York, Al Jazeera’s Kristen Saloomey said the UN Secretary-General, the High Commissioner of Human Rights and the Special UN Envoy for the Middle East were all also calling for an independent investigation into Abu Akleh’s killing.
On the other hand, the US State Department said that Israel was capable of conducting a thorough investigation into the death of Abu Akleh.
“The Israelis have the wherewithal and the capabilities to conduct a thorough, comprehensive investigation,” department spokesman Ned Price told a news briefing.
Aljazeera
