Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed in the West Bank.
Photo: Amir Al-Mohammedawi/DPA/Picture Alliance / Deutsche Welle
The United Nations Security Council “strongly condemned” the murder of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and the injuries of another journalist in the West Bank city of Jenin, in a unanimous statement adopted on Friday (05.13.2022), diplomats told the French agency AFP.
Initiated by the United States, this unusually unanimous stance by the Security Council on an issue related to Israel also called for “an immediate, thorough, transparent and impartial investigation” into the death of Akleh, who was shot dead on Wednesday 11 while covering a raid by the Israeli Army.
The statement underlined “the need to ensure accountability” of its author or authors, according to the text obtained by AFP.
Riots at the journalist’s funeral #ShireenAbuAkleh in #Jerusalem
The funeral of the Palestinian-American journalist #akleh was disturbed by the intervention of the Israeli police.
The incidents have been condemned by the #UN, #USA and the #EU. /cq#DWNews pic.twitter.com/eZXtQQ3jD8
— DW Spanish (@dw_espanol) May 13, 2022
For its part, The US government said it was “deeply disturbed” by images of violence at Akleh’s funeral. marked by an Israeli police charge at the beginning of the funeral procession, and asked to investigate the events.
“I don’t have all the details, but I know it has to be investigated,” said President Joe Biden to the press at an event at the White House, when asked about the police action at the funeral of the veteran Al Jazeera journalist.
Hours later, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the intrusion “disturbing” and added that “every family deserves to be able to say goodbye to their loved ones in a dignified and unhindered way.”
“We remain in close contact with our Israeli and Palestinian counterparts and call for calm and to avoid any action that could further escalate tensions,” Blinken said.
Akleh, identified as a press officer and wearing a vest and helmet, was shot in the face while covering a raid by the Israeli Army in the Jenin refugee camp, in the occupied West Bank, where Israel has intensified its “counterterrorism” operations in recent years. weeks with about 50 deaths.
The initial investigation by the Israeli Armed Forces concluded that “it is not possible to unequivocally determine the origin of the shot” that killed Akleh.
Israel insists that in order to do so, a “professional ballistic examination” of the bullet that killed the reporter is necessary, something that is in the hands of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), who was in charge of carrying out the autopsy and has promised an investigation. “exhaustive and transparent” about the case.
gs (afp, efe, reuters)
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