UN: Palestinian Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was Killed by Israeli Gunfire

The UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner stated on Friday that Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli forces.

Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ravina Shamdasani said in a press release that “the shots that killed Abu Akleh and injured her colleague Ali Sammoudi came from Israeli Security Forces and not from indiscriminate firing by armed Palestinians, as initially claimed by Israeli authorities.”

The UN said that it reached this conclusion following their independent monitoring of the incident while pointing out that “all information we have gathered – including official information from the Israeli military and the Palestinian Attorney-General – is consistent with ]this[ finding…”.

“In accordance with our global human rights monitoring methodology, our Office inspected photo, video and audio material, visited the scene, consulted experts, reviewed official communications and interviewed witnesses,” Shamdasani said.

“We have found no information suggesting that there was activity by armed Palestinians in the immediate vicinity of the journalists,” she added.

The UN expressed its deep disturbance over the Israeli failure to conduct a probe into the killing.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet urged “Israeli authorities to open a criminal investigation into Abu Akleh’s killing and into all other killings and serious injuries by Israeli forces in the West Bank and in the context of law enforcement operations in Gaza.”

She added that since just the beginning of the year, the UN Office has verified that Israeli forces have killed 58 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 13 children.