Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that the death of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh who was killed by Israeli occupation forces in Jenin would be taken to the International Criminal Court.
At a state memorial for Abu Akleh held at the presidential palace in Ramallah attended by thousands, Abbas reiterated that the PA would not participate in a joint investigation, stressing that the Zionist entity was responsible for the death of the journalist and “cannot go unpunished.”.
“They committed the crime and we do not trust them,” Abbas said, adding that the PA will instead “turn immediately to the International Criminal Court to prosecute the criminals.”
“We hold the Israeli occupation authorities totally responsible for her killing,” Abbas said. “This crime cannot go unpunished.”
As the memorial ceremony was going on in Ramallah, several dozen protesters chanted slogans against the PA’s policy of security coordination with Israel.
“Why is there coordination [with Israel] when we’re under fire by their army’s bullets,” demonstrators chanted.
Abu Akleh 51, was shot in the head early on Wednesday while covering clashes between Palestinian fighters and Israeli occupation forces who raided the city.
The Zionist entity claimed that the veteran Palestinian reporter was shot by Palestinian forces. However, eyewitnesses and fellow journalists confirm that the place were Abu Akleh was shot was 260 meters away from the scene where Palestinian fighters were based in Jenin, and that there were no clashes in the area.
The ICC is already probing abuses by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Source: Agencies
