[News] Shireen Abu Akleh: Israel won't investigate killing of Palestinian-American journalist

[Anti-Imperialist News]

middleeasteye.net
<https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/shireen-abu-akleh-israel-not-investigate-killing-palestinian-journalist>
Shireen Abu Akleh: Israel won't investigate killing of Palestinian-American
journalist
By MEE staff - May 19, 2022
------------------------------

Israeli army says there is 'no suspicion of a criminal act' that would
require investigating soldiers as suspects

[image: Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed last week in Jenin, wearing a
press vest while reporting for the Al Jazeera news channel (Courtesy: Al
Jazeera)]

Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed last week in Jenin, wearing a press vest
while reporting for the Al Jazeera news channel (Courtesy: Al Jazeera)

Published date: 19 May 2022 12:42 UTC | Last update: 3 hours 18 mins ago

Israeli <https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/israel>military forces are
not going to investigate the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen
Abu Akleh <https://www.middleeasteye.net/topics/shireen-abu-akleh-killing>,
who was shot dead by Israeli forces while covering a raid in Jenin last
week.

Haaretz
<https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-israeli-military-will-not-conduct-criminal-probe-into-al-jazeera-reporter-s-death-1.10808866>
reported on Tuesday that the Israeli army's Military Police Criminal
Investigation Division, known by its Hebrew acronym, Metzah, is not
planning to probe the killing of the 51-year-old journalist, claiming that
there was no suspicion of a criminal act.

"The main reason for this is that there is no suspicion of a criminal act:
the soldiers testified that they did not see the journalist at all and
aimed their fire at gunmen, who were indeed nearby," Haaretz reported.

Abu Akleh, a journalist with Al Jazeera, was fatally shot on 11 May while
covering a raid of the Jenin refugee camp by an Israeli commando unit, the
Duvdevan.

<https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/shireen-abu-akleh-british-mps-call-inquiry-journalists-killing-funeral-attack>

Shireen Abu Akleh: British MPs call for inquiry over journalist's killing
and funeral attack

Following widespread condemnation of the killing by Palestinian, American
and European figures, Israeli forces issued the results of an interim
investigation, saying they could not determine who fired the bullet that
killed Abu Akleh.

The Israeli report also suggested Palestinian shooters could have been
responsible.

But a visual investigation
<https://www.middleeasteye.net/video/visual-investigation-who-killed-sherine-abu-akleh>
by
Middle East Eye into Abu Akleh's death, which established the location of a
number of key events on Wednesday, as well as testimony from witnesses,
cast doubt on Israeli claims that the veteran journalist could have been
killed by Palestinian fire.

And eyewitnesses said there was no crossfire at the time, and that
Palestinian gunmen were far from the team of six journalists.

Unnamed Israeli officials have also told journalists
<https://time.com/6176045/israel-response-shireen-abu-akleh-killing/> that
soldiers 150 metres from Abu Akleh repeatedly fired around the time of her
death.
'Incapable or unwilling'

The Israeli forces rarely investigate incidents in which Palestinian
militants are killed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, but have occasionally
investigated the shooting and killing of Palestinian civilians, despite
pressure from far-right parties.

In the case of Abu Akleh, such an investigation would require the Israeli
army to question soldiers as potential suspects in a criminal probe, which
would rile up the military and generate strong opposition.

Yesh Din, an Israel NGO, said army law enforcement mechanisms "no longer
bother to give the appearance of investigating", adding that:

"Eighty percent of the complaints that are submitted are dismissed without
a criminal investigation.

It appears that politics and image count for more than truth and justice.
An army that investigates itself in such a serious case as this again
proves that it is incapable or unwilling to undertake a fair and effective
probe."

Last week, the Palestinian Authority rejected holding a joint probe into
the death with Israel, or handing over the fatal bullet for forensic
examination, saying Israel was "completely responsible" for the
journalist's death.

Israeli forces cracked down on Abu Akleh's funeral on Friday, assaulting
mourners carrying her coffin as they left a hospital for a church in
Jerusalem's Old City.

A small group of politicians have called on the US government to
investigate Abu Akleh's killing at the hands of Israeli soldiers
<https://www.middleeasteye.net/video/visual-investigation-who-killed-sherine-abu-akleh>,
urging the Biden administration to restrict military aid to Israel over the
tragedy.
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