The Palestinian Attorney General Akram al-Khatib has announced the results of investigation into the killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh saying that it shows Israeli occupation forces (IOF) deliberately shot and killed the veteran reporter.
The findings echoed the results of a preliminary investigation announced nearly two weeks ago and were widely expected amid global outrage over the killing of Abu Akleh.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah al-Khatib said “It was clear that one of the [Israeli] occupation soldiers … had fired a bullet that hit journalist Shireen Abu Akleh directly in her head” while she was attempting to escape.
Al-Khatib was reporting on the findings of a Palestinian Authority (PA) investigation into the killing of Abu Akleh who was shot on May 11 while covering an Israeli army raid in the West Bank city of Jenin.
“The only source of firing was by the occupation forces with the aim to kill” he said.
Al-Khatib said his investigation was based on interviews with witnesses an inspection of the scene and a forensic medical report.
Witnesses and colleagues who were present at the scene had previously said Abu Akleh was killed by the IOF. Al Jazeera Media Network said Abu Akleh was “assassinated in cold blood”.
Al-Khatib said the investigation found there were no Palestinian fighters near the scene of the shooting contradicting claims made by Israeli officials that she could have been killed by armed Palestinians.
He said that the Israeli forces were able to see Abu Akleh and other journalists who were all clearly marked as members of the press.
According al-Khatib an autopsy and forensic examination conducted in Nablus after Abu Akleh’s death showed she was shot from behind indicating that she was attempting to flee as Israeli forces continued to fire towards the group of journalists.
