Shireen Abu Akleh: Relatives of slain Palestinian journalist demand justice from UN

Her relatives American-Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh they told UN investigators on Thursday that he was deliberately killed in May as part of Israel’s “large-scale war” against Palestinian media representatives.

The case of this well-known Al Jazeera journalist, who killed by a bullet on May 11 while covering an Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank and wearing a bulletproof vest marked “Type” and a helmet, was the subject of a rare public hearing at the UN.

This belated confession was no consolation, Lina Abu Akleh said. “They didn’t fully admit it was them. They didn’t even tell us the soldier’s name. They don’t even want to open a criminal investigation into the matter,” he added in his statement to AFP.

He also noted that no representative of the Israeli authorities had contacted the journalist’s family since her aunt’s funeral took place on May 13, a ceremony marred by an Israeli police attack on the funeral procession.

The family is calling for an independent investigation.

“War” against journalists

Lina Abu Akleh insisted that this case “does not constitute an isolated incident”. Palestinian Journalists’ Union (PJS) president Nasser Abu Bakr echoed the same view, telling UN investigators that nearly 50 Palestinian journalists have been killed since 2000 and that “no one has been held responsible.”

“Israel is targeting Palestinian journalists as part of a systemic policy aimed at drowning out Palestinian voices and silencing us,” he said.

“We, the Palestinian journalists, are facing not only abuses and violations, but a war on a large scale from the side of the occupying state,” he added.

UN commissions of inquiry rarely hold public hearings. This time, the researchers wanted to show greater transparency to better answer the accusations of bias. However, the Israeli authorities, who refused to cooperate with the committee, remain very critical, as reported by AFP and Athenian News Agency.

Israel accused the investigators of advocating an “anti-Israel agenda” and also called the public hearings, which began on Monday, a “sham trial.”