Israeli army rejects UN probe on Al Jazeera journalist killing

By Abdelraouf Arna'out

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israel reiterated its rejection of the accusations that blamed it for the killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

In a statement, the Israeli army accused the UN probe of being biased citing Palestinians' rejection to hand the bullet that killed Abu Akleh to Israel.

The Israeli army insisted on the narrative of a fire exchange with Palestinians which it claimed had killed Abu Akleh.

Early on Friday, the United Nations said findings showed that the bullet that killed Abu Akleh was fired by the Israeli forces.

"We find that the shots that killed Abu Akleh came from Israeli security forces," UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva. "It is deeply disturbing that Israeli authorities have not conducted a criminal investigation."

"We have found no information suggesting that there was activity by armed Palestinians in the immediate vicinity of the journalists," Shamdasani added.

On May 11, Abu Akleh, 51, was covering an Israeli military raid near the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank when she was shot dead. Palestinian officials and her employer, Al Jazeera, said she was killed by Israeli forces.

Israel, for its part, denied any responsibility and called for a joint investigation with Palestinians, a move rejected by the authorities in Palestine.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara