Abu Akleh’s family demands independent probe into her murder, US non-committal

The family of slain Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin in May, has renewed calls for an independent probe into her cold-blooded murder.

They met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday in a bid to demand justice for the journalist, who was fatally shot by Israeli troops.

The family underscored the need for a "thorough, credible independent and transparent US investigation that leads to real accountability", said a statement issued by the family. 

"For far too long, the United States has enabled Israel to kill with impunity by providing weapons, immunity, and diplomatic cover," Shireen's brother Tony Abu Akleh and her niece and nephew said in a joint statement after the talks with Blinken.

They said "impunity leads to repetition", and that they were in Washington "to ensure that this cycle ends".

"If we allow Shireen's killing to be swept under the rug, we send a message that the lives of US citizens abroad don't matter, that the lives of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation don't matter, and that the most courageous journalists in the world, those who cover the human impact of armed conflict and violence, are expendable."

In an statement and interview to Politico, they said the White House had not taken their concerns seriously and "has been reluctant" to meet with them.

“The administration’s July 4th statement was an affront to justice, and enabled Israel to avoid accountability for Shireen’s murder,” the family wrote in a statement.

On July 4, the US State Department concluded its own investigation, finding the Israeli military was “likely responsible” for the shooting. 

It, however, said that “ballistic experts determined the bullet was badly damaged, which prevented a clear conclusion," eventually stating that her death was “the result of tragic circumstances.”

Wearing press attire, 51-year-old Abu Akleh was murdered in cold blood while covering an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on May 11. Later, her funeral was also attacked by the regime forces. 

Western media and leaders have been accused of turning a blind eye to the breach of international law by the apartheid Israeli regime in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Palestinian Authority calls on Israel to hand over gun in Abu Akleh case

The gun killed Al Jazeera’s veteran journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in May.

The July 4 statement outraged Abu Akleh's family and Palestinian leaders who said that the United States is not seeking accountability from Israel over the death of the journalist, who also held US citizenship.

Abu Akleh's family unsuccessfully sought to meet President Joe Biden when he visited the occupied West Bank earlier this month. Her relatives had called for a meeting with Biden when he visited the occupied West Bank earlier this month, but the US president did not grant their request.

“Since the President didn’t come to us in Jerusalem (al-Quds) to hear first-hand our grief, outrage and concerns regarding his administration’s lack of response to Shireen’s extrajudicial killing, we decided to come to him,” the family said on Tuesday.

Blinken had spoken earlier to her family by phone and publicly criticized Israel for using force at her funeral, when police grabbed Palestinian flags and pallbearers struggled not to drop her casket.

Abu Akleh’s tragic death sent shock waves across the region, drawing global condemnation. The United Nations and the European Union, among others, called for a full investigation into what has been described as a deliberate murder “in cold blood.”

More than 50 US lawmakers have so far called for an investigation into the crime as Tel Aviv is refusing to launch a probe.

Over 100 leading artists from across the world have also condemned Israel’s killing of Abu Akleh, demanding accountability for the regime’s crimes.

The International Criminal Court has already opened an investigation into possible war crimes by Israel in both the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. However, Israel does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction and has called the war crimes probe unfair and anti-Semitic.

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