In conjunction with the results of the Palestinian investigation, Al Jazeera network refers Abu Aqila's file to the criminal court, and Gantz talks about Tel Aviv's regret over her death

Al Jazeera Media Network announced its decision to refer the file of the assassination of colleague Shireen Abu Akleh to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, in conjunction with the Palestinian Authority's announcement of the results of the investigation, while the Israeli Defense Minister spoke of Tel Aviv's regret over her death.

The network indicated in a statement that it had formed an international legal alliance that includes its legal team, along with international legal experts, and that it has started preparing a complete file on the case to be submitted to the court's public prosecutor.

In addition to the assassination of Abu Aqila by the Israeli occupation forces in Jenin camp in the West Bank, the legal file will also include the Israeli bombing of the Al-Jazeera office in Gaza and its complete destruction in May 2021, in addition to the repeated attacks on its journalistic elements working in the occupied Palestinian territories, and even incitement on them.

Al-Jazeera network condemned the assassination of Shireen Abu Aqleh, with whom it worked for 25 years in covering the ongoing conflict in the occupied Palestinian territories, pledging to activate all possible paths so that those responsible for the crime are brought to the platforms of international justice, and their legal punishment is taken.

international demands

For her part, Irene Khan, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, said in an interview with Al Jazeera that Shireen Abu Aqleh was not the first journalist to be killed in Palestine.

Khan said that 40 journalists have been killed in recent years and no investigation has been conducted, and called for an end to impunity for the killings of journalists.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the protection of freedom of opinion across the island also called for an independent international commission to investigate the facts in the Abu Akila case and what is happening in the Palestinian territories.

The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wencesland, renewed the call for an independent and transparent investigation into the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh.

During his monthly briefing to the UN Security Council, Wencesland stressed that those responsible should be held accountable, and described the scenes of violence during Abu Aqila's funeral as painful and humiliating.

In turn, the US delegate to the UN Security Council, Linda Thomas Greenfield, called for an immediate, comprehensive, transparent and impartial investigation into the assassination of colleague Shireen Abu Akleh.

Greenfield emphasized that the United States expects full accountability for those found responsible.

Palestinian results

In the West Bank, Palestinian Attorney General Akram Al-Khatib said yesterday, Thursday, that investigations proved that targeting the Al-Jazeera correspondent and the journalists near her was deliberate, and that the effects of repeated projectiles in the vicinity of her injury indicated an intent to kill.

Al-Khatib said, during a press conference to announce the details of the report of the assassination of Shireen Abu Aqleh, that one of the occupation soldiers shot Abu Aqila and hit her in the head while she was trying to escape.

He also confirmed that the investigations indicated that an Israeli army force had a clear and direct view of the location of the journalists' presence.

Israeli sorry

On the other hand, IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi said that the truth about the killing of Abu Akleh could not be reached because the Palestinians refused to cooperate in the investigation.

Kohavi added that there is a clear conclusion that can be declared openly and without any room for doubt, and that "no soldier in the IDF deliberately fired at Shirin Abu Aqla."

He stressed that this is the conclusion we reached after investigation and examination, and there is no other conclusion.

The Chief of Staff of the Israeli army also said that Al-Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Aqleh was killed in a battlefield, adding that she was killed at the height of a military activity aimed at arresting what he called terrorists who planned to target and kill civilians.

For his part, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that Israel regrets the killing of journalist Shirin Abu Aqleh, and that the army is conducting an investigation into the matter in order to reach the truth.

Gantz added that any claim that the Israeli army deliberately targets journalists and innocents is a lie, as he put it.

Gantz commented on the Palestinian Public Prosecution's report by saying that the investigation and lessons learned do not take place through a press conference, but in closed rooms, and that the Palestinian side refuses to cooperate in this, which raises the question whether the Palestinian side is really interested in reaching the truth.

Gantz expressed Israel's readiness to conduct a joint investigation with the participation of international bodies, adding that accusing IDF soldiers of war crimes and relying on false investigations undermines the ability to calm and stabilize the region.