WEST BANK (Dispatches) – Al Jazeera has denounced the findings of the Zionist regime’s military’s inquiry into the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, saying it was “an attempt by the Israeli Occupation Forces to evade the criminal responsibility” for the fatal shooting of the veteran Palestinian journalist.
The Zionist army admitted on Monday for the first time that one of its soldiers had likely shot the Al Jazeera journalist “accidentally” and added that it would not be launching a criminal investigation into her killing that caused global outrage.
“Al Jazeera Media Network denounces the findings of this investigation and stresses that this elusive admission is nothing but an attempt from the IOF to evade the criminal responsibility for the killing of Shireen, which has been proven by numerous independent and international investigations,” the Qatar-based network said in a statement.
“Al Jazeera condemns the Israeli Occupation Forces’ reluctance to explicitly admit their crime and attempts to evade the prosecution of the perpetrators,” the statement read.
The network demanded that “an independent international body investigates the assassination of Abu Akleh to achieve justice for her, her family, and fellow journalists around the world”.
The Doha-based network has also referred Abu Akleh’s case to the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague.
The 51-year-old was killed on May 11 while covering an incursion by the Zionist regime in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, despite wearing a helmet and flak jacket clearly marked “PRESS”.
Meanwhile, the family of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh has rejected a report by the Zionist regime’s army on her killing.
“The Israeli regime and military released a statement that tried to obscure the truth and avoid responsibility for killing Shireen Abu Akleh, our aunt, sister, best friend, journalist, and a Palestinian American,” said the family in an open letter. “We have known for over 4 months now that an Israeli soldier shot and killed Shireen as countless investigations conducted by CNN, the Associated Press, the New York Times, Al Jazeera, Al-Haq, B’tselem, the United Nations, and others have all concluded. And yet, as expected, Israel has refused to take responsibility for murdering Shireen.”
The Abu Akleh family said that it is not surprised by this outcome since it is “obvious to anyone that Israeli war criminals” cannot investigate their own crimes.
“However, we remain deeply hurt, frustrated, and disappointed. Since Shireen was killed our family has called for a thorough, independent, and credible U.S. investigation that leads to accountability, which is the bare minimum the U.S. government should do for one of their own citizens.”