Palestine hands report to ICC over Shireen Abu Akleh’s ‘execution’

Palestine has submitted a report to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the “execution” of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh who was shot dead in Jenin during an Israeli raid, an incident that has drawn international condemnations and demands for a transparent investigation.

In a statement on Monday, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry “called on the ICC to adopt this report in order to expedite its investigations and bring criminals and murderers to international justice.”

Palestine accuses Israel of assassinating Abu Akleh and has called for an international response. Qatar-based Al Jazeera TV channel and several eyewitnesses say Abu Akleh, who was wearing a helmet and a blue vest marked “PRESS”, was assassinated in “cold blood” by Israeli troops on May 11.

Anger over her death compounded when baton-wielding Israeli forces in annexed East Jerusalem beat pallbearers carrying Abu Akleh’s coffin which was covered by a Palestinian flag.

Tel Aviv has denied killing her.

Israel army says ‘no suspicion’ of crime

On Monday, Israel’s military said that if an Israeli soldier fired the bullet that killed the Palestinian-American journalist, it did not appear that the soldier was guilty of criminal misconduct.

“Given that Ms Abu Akleh was killed in the midst of an active combat zone, there can be no immediate suspicion of criminal activity absent further evidence,” it said in a statement, citing military advocate Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi.

Tomer-Yerushalmi will ultimately be responsible for determining whether any individual soldier faces disciplinary action over the killing during clashes in the occupied West Bank flashpoint of Jenin.

She stressed that Israel does not yet know whether Abu Akleh was killed by stray Palestinian gunfire or by an Israeli bullet aimed at a Palestinian fighter.

Tomer-Yerushalmi restated Israel’s request to examine the bullet extracted from the body of the reporter.

The projectile is in the Palestinian Authority’s custody.

Israel has offered to conduct the ballistic examination with Palestinian and American experts present.

Palestine says it won’t hand over the bullet and has called for an international investigation.

It has rejected holding a joint probe with Israel, saying Israel can’t be trusted and was “completely responsible” for Abu Akleh’s killing.

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