A month-long investigation by the American newspaper The New York Times (NYT), The shooting that killed Al Jazeera TV reporter Shireen Abu Akleh it came from an Israeli contingent, but it was not intentional.
The 51-year-old reporter was shot in the head while covering an attack in the West Bank city of Jenin on May 11 and died instantly, sparking protests and violent demonstrations during funerals in many countries.
Shireen was one of the most recognizable faces in the Arab world, having been on television for over two decades, and was one of the station’s first field reporters in the Israeli-occupied territory.
Palestinian journalist’s death under investigation from multiple directions
The American newspaper’s confirmation is just one of several cases that have been independently conducted to investigate the crime, as Israel initially said it did not plan to investigate the circumstances of the conflict between the country’s soldiers and Palestinian snipers.
The NYT investigation story, released Monday, used video footage, witness statements, and acoustic analysis of bullets fired at the time the reporter was killed.
He concluded that the bullet that hit Shireen came from close to the location of an Israeli military vehicle and was “probably fired by a soldier from an elite unit”, but the journalist did not appear to be a purposeful target.
“A month-long investigation by The New York Times found that the bullet that killed Abu Akleh was fired from the approximate position of the Israeli military convoy, possibly by a soldier from an elite unit.
(…) The Times found no evidence that the shooter knew Abu Akleh and shot him personally.
The Times was unable to determine whether the shooter saw him and his colleagues wearing protective vests marked ‘Press’.”
According to the investigative report, evidence analyzed by the newspaper showed that there were no armed Palestinians nearby at the time Shireen was shot.
This contradicts Israeli claims that if a soldier accidentally killed him, it was because he was fighting a Palestinian sniper.
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In addition to the NYT, the Washington Post, Associated Press and investigative group Bellingcat previously concluded that Israeli forces likely killed the Al Jazeera journalist.
Last month, a CNN research report stated that the evidence suggested a “targeted attack” on the media expert. The Palestinian Authority came to the same conclusion in its own investigation.
Days after the Palestinian journalist’s death, Al Jazeera directly accused the State of Israel of killing him “in cold blood”.
Last week, the network posted an image of the bullet that killed Shireen. According to information from the network, which spoke to ballistics and forensic experts, the bullet was the same model used by the Israeli military.
The photo of the bullet that killed veteran journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, obtained as a result of the Al Jazeera investigation, gave new clues to the murder of the reporter by Israeli forces ⬇️
????: https://t.co/SyAd7FaQwE pic.twitter.com/nYbITHWN1O
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) 17 June 2022
Death of Palestinian journalist completes 40 days without official investigation
Shireen’s death lasted 40 days this week and her family members tributed her on social media. The niece of the journalist, Lina Abu Akleh, shared images of the monuments in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
“All these tributes and monuments were so beautiful and soulful,” he wrote in the caption of the photos. “We want Justice for #Shireen”.
Today from the 40th Day Commemoration in Ramallah. All these tributes and memorials were beyond beautiful and heartwarming.
لروحك السلام يا شوشوWe want #JusticeforShireen‼️ pic.twitter.com/dbMVwaMt2s
— Lina Abu Akleh (@LinaAbuAkleh) 19 June 2022
In another broadcast, the young woman said she was disappointed by Pope Francis’ lack of position over the death of her aunt.
“We have been impressed by the explosion of support we have received. [com a morte de Shireen]. However, we are still upset and disappointed by the Pope’s lack of position. Are we less Christian because we are Palestinians?” she asked.
Today, 40 days of commemoration since then #ShireenAbuAkleh was killed. The amount of support we received overwhelmed us. However, we still experience the sadness and disappointment of failure. @Pontifex to take a position. Are we less Christian because we are Palestinians? pic.twitter.com/q4qJpLucyk
— Lina Abu Akleh (@LinaAbuAkleh) 18 June 2022
In late May, more than 30 human rights groups and press freedom advocates met to demand that the Israeli government investigate the Palestinian journalist’s death.
The reporter’s relatives contacted three more journalists’ organizations to file a new complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC), known as The Hague Tribunal, so that the murder can be formally investigated.
Organizations representing his family believe the country should be held responsible for violating international law for crimes against the press.
The Israeli government has already declared that it has no intention of investigating the incident, ignoring pressure from the international community, including the United States.
Director of the International Center for Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), T.Ayab Ali declared at the time:
“Shireen’s work has allowed the world to know what is happening in Palestine.
Journalists like Shireen and Ali are crucial in holding governments that violate international law to account.
Israel’s aggressive and excessive use of force has resulted in irreversible damage and the death of an innocent journalist. This cannot go on any longer.”
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source: Noticias
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