Occupied Jerusalem-

Since the first moments of the assassination of journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh by its soldiers in Jenin camp, Israel has been changing accounts about what happened.

In an effort to obscure the facts and refrain from opening any investigation, and to confront the Palestinian narrative that the Al-Jazeera reporter was killed by an Israeli sniper.

Tel Aviv continues its endeavors to immunize its soldiers and remove them from the accusation circle by refusing to open an investigation or cooperating with any international effort in this regard, and only conducting an examination by the Israeli Military Prosecution without announcing the results;

In a case that reflects its approach to dealing with the cases of killing Palestinian journalists while they were working in the occupied territories.

Between the years 2002 and 2022, the Israeli Military Prosecution opened investigations into the killing of 22 journalists, including 18 Palestinian journalists who were killed by Israeli bullets while covering the confrontations with the Palestinians. Of all these cases, it is clear that 19 files are still being investigated with secrecy or without reaching any conclusions. to results.

Attempting to withdraw the body of Shireen Abu Akleh from the Israeli targeting site before announcing her martyrdom (Anadolu Agency)

Giving cover to Israel

In appreciation of the position of the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories (B’Tselem), regarding the killing of journalist Abu Aqila;

All investigations by major foreign media outlets, as well as B'Tselem's investigation, have established that all indications indicate that the bullet that killed Shirin was fired by Israeli soldiers. The investigations also confirmed the absence of a Palestinian armed man among Israeli journalists and military vehicles.

Regarding the Israeli refusal to examine or cooperate with any investigation more than 100 days after the assassination of Abu Aqila, B'Tselem believes that the American position and the results of the ballistic examination, which he said, "cannot reach a definitive conclusion about the source of the bullet that killed Abu Aqleh because of its position." and the damage caused to it.”

Giving Israel the strength to hold on to its claims.

B'Tselem clarified that the American conclusion - that the journalist's death was the result of "tragic circumstances" - is based solely on the results of the Israeli investigation;

This again puts Washington on the side of Israel, as it provided a cover for Tel Aviv to abstain from any responsibility, and helped it block any effort to hold those involved accountable, and supported the obliteration of facts in the killing of Shirin.


US support for the Hague confrontation

Depending on the American position, lawyer Pina Sharbet Baruch, a researcher at the National Security Research Institute of Tel Aviv University, says, "The Abu Akila case should not lead to an investigation with Israel in the International Court of Justice in The Hague, as it appears, after the initial American investigation, that the procedures in the International Criminal Court Against the IDF in this case is remote and improbable."

Baruch said that "the results of the investigation reached by the US State Department indicate that there is no basis for the report of deliberate shooting of journalist Abu Akleh, especially the conclusion that her killing was by mistake and unintentionally, which refutes the allegation of a war crime in this case." .

The lawyer believes that although the investigation into the killing of Shirin is officially open at the International Court, it does not appear that it is currently an active investigation, due to the focus of the new Prosecutor of the Criminal Court Karim Khan on other investigations, especially the investigation of war crimes that occur in the framework of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Accordingly, the investigation into Abu Aqila's murder is currently a low priority.

Sherine Abu Aqleh on a media mission in Cairo (Al Jazeera)

Fear of being convicted of war crimes

In the context of following up the file of the assassination of Abu Aqila, the Arab Center for Media Freedom, Development and Research (Media) in Nazareth approached the Israeli Military Police, but has not yet received any response.

"Media" prepared a detailed report on the incident and testimonies thereof, with texts of international law and investigations in Israel of similar events, and circulated the report to the various international bodies concerned with the affairs and safety of journalists in the field.

Media Director Kholoud Masalha explained that Israel - in order to preserve its image globally and as part of its propaganda campaign that it is the only country in the Middle East that respects freedom of the press - is opening investigations, but "procrastination" at best and "lack of results" are the sayings. Separation of all those mock investigations, as in the case of Abu Akila.

Masalha stated to Al Jazeera Net that Israel, from the beginning, has refrained from opening or even examining the circumstances of the assassination of Abu Aqila so as not to put itself under suspicion, and therefore it fears a serious investigation so that it will not be convicted of war crimes in everything related to the targeting and martyrdom of dozens of Palestinian journalists by the Israeli army's bullets. .

She pointed out that Israel is always called before the international community, and what the current prime minister, Yair Lapid, emphasized - in an article about the killing of Abu Aqleh in the Wall Street Journal - is that it is the country that is at the bottom of the list of countries in which journalists are killed according to global indicators, compared to Mexico and Iraq. The Philippines and Pakistan, but the facts indicate that Israel's rank rises to the top of the list.


crime unpunished

Bilal Al-Shobaki, professor of political science and international relations at Hebron University, says, "Unfortunately, the occupation authorities have succeeded, until this moment, in evading punishment in the case of Shirin Abu Akleh."

In his speech to Al-Jazeera Net, Al-Shobaki attributed the occupation's refusal to investigate the file of Sherine's assassination and refrain from cooperating with any investigation, to the American support it received and the shy Western position, which reflects accumulations of previous experiences in many files regarding the Israeli crimes that were practiced against the Palestinian people from Without facing Israel internationally.

The professor of political science and international relations explained that the American support and the Western position towards the assassination of Abu Aqila and the demand to open an international investigation without obligating Tel Aviv with its results, and not criminalizing it with war crimes against the Palestinian people;

All of this encouraged Israel to continue its aggression against the Palestinians, and in parallel to immunize itself from any legal accountability and beautify its image internationally.

The paper version of the Washington Post publishes a full-page advertisement to demand justice for Shireen Abu Akleh (communication sites)

Denial and alteration of narratives

Al-Shobaki believes that the American and Western support for Israel’s position, in harmony with its alleged narrative, its alteration, and the claim that the martyr may have been accidentally wounded by Palestinian bullets;

Giving Israel the opportunity to continue to stall and to refrain from examination or cooperation with any investigation.

In light of the state of reassurance, Al-Shobaki says that "Israel continues to deny so that it does not stand in the position of accusation and suspicion, and withholds any information confirming its involvement in the assassination of Abu Aqila, and repudiates any responsibility and seeks to point the finger of accusation at the Palestinians."

Regarding Israel’s fears of any serious investigations or any results that might condemn them, Al-Shobaki says, “Israel realizes that Shirin Abu Aqleh is not just a journalist, but has been, since the second intifada, one of the contributors to the narrative and the living collective memory of the Palestinian people, and accordingly Israel fears a confrontation that would transcend The Palestinian geography torn by the occupation, as well as the mobilization of supporters of the Palestinian cause around the world.