The Israeli military is not planning to investigate the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, Israeli media reported, causing her family to reiterate their call for a transparent probe into her killing.
According to a report by Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz on Thursday, Israel’s Military Police Criminal Investigation Division believes an investigation that treats Israeli soldiers as suspects will lead to opposition within Israeli society.
Confirming the report, Anna Ahronhiem, a senior journalist of The Jerusalem Post tweeted, “The IDF has confirmed to me that they will not be opening a criminal investigation into the death of al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh who was killed during a military operation in Jenin last week.”
Veteran journalist Abu Akleh, 51, was killed by an Israeli soldier on last Wednesday, according to witnesses and colleagues present when she was shot while covering an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank of Jenin.
Abu Akleh’s family in response to the report said they were not surprised by the Israeli military possibly not investigating her death.
“We were expecting this from the Israeli side. That’s why we didn’t want them to participate in the investigation. We want to hold whoever is responsible for these acts accountable,” the family told Al Jazeera.
“We urge the United States in particular – since she is a US citizen – and the international community to open a just and transparent investigation and to put an end to the killings,” the family’s statement read.
Abu Akleh, who lived in occupied East Jerusalem, was a US citizen. From nearly three decades, she has been covering the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Hours after Israel’s military said it will not launch a criminal inquiry into the incident, Congressman Andre Carson said that dozens of US legislators have signed onto a letter demanding the FBI investigate the killing of Abu Akleh.
“As we all continue to mourn the loss of this great journalist, fellow American, who was tragically killed while on assignment, we want answers,” Carson, who is leading the congressional letter, told Al Jazeera on Thursday.
