Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK) is dismayed – though not surprised – to receive the news that the principal Israeli investigation into the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on 11 May 11, 2022, in Jenin, has found that “it is not possible to unequivocally determine the source of the gunfire which hit Ms Abu Akleh (…)” Given how sharply this contradicts numerous credible investigations, AOHR UK states that the Israeli inquiry amounts to a whitewash.
Moreover, the occupation authorities have decided not to pursue a criminal investigation into the soldiers that numerous media and human rights organisations have stated were involved in her killing. The Israeli occupation investigation, carried out by a “dedicated task force” under military command, has been referred to Israeli’s Military Advocate General, who “found that under the circumstances of the case, there is no suspicion of a criminal offence that justifies the opening of a Military Police investigation.”
A key part of the Israeli state’s investigation’s argument is that those forces which fired at Abu Akleh’s position were themselves under fire . This claim is contradicted by the findings of investigations by several international media organisations – including CNN, Al-Jazeera, and Associated Press news agency – and those of leading human rights groups, which have all been able to confirm that, firstly, Abu Akleh was near-certainly killed by live fire from Israeli forces and, secondly, that those forces were not under fire from Abu Akleh’s vicinity. At the time of her killing, Abu Akleh was wearing both a flak jacket and helmet with ‘PRESS’ clearly legible on.
Surprisingly, the US State Department welcomed the investigation of the occupation army, which stressed that Sherine might have been accidentally shot by the occupation army. The Foreign Ministry did not point out that the occupation army is not intending to hold the shooter accountable.
The US stance have always been biased towards the occupation, which encourages it to kill more journalists and commit endless violations. For example, yesterday evening, the IOF killed the Palestinian citizen Mousa Sebaaneh, and injured dozens during the demolition of a house in Jenin.
Holding the IOF responsible for killing Shirene, and more than 140 other Palestinians, including 16 children, since the beginning of this year, as well as the killing of women and children in the Gaza Strip is not difficult. Subjecting the occupation, which has always escaped punishment, to the rule of law is difficult, due to the unconditional support of the US and many Western countries, which made it above the law.
This has always been the case since before 1974, when the occupation committed all kind of serious crimes, including massacres, establishing settlements, house demolition, forced displacement of citizens, and many other crimes. The impunity enjoyed by the occupation and the weak condemnation from the international community to its crimes has encouraged it to commit more crimes.
Given the current international system, and in light of the existing international system, hopes went up believing that the International Criminal Court, and the Public Prosecution Office of Karin Khan would continue the procedures from where the former prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, has left.
Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK calls on the Public Prosecution Office to open an official investigation into the crime of killing Sherine Abu Akleh, and to continue the formal investigation procedures on the files submitted before the Public Prosecution Office to issue arrest warrants for the suspects.
