The Embassy of Palestine in Kenya has welcomed the US decision to investigate the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
In a statement on Tuesday, the embassy said the decision showed the US had been convinced of the absence of “any serious Israeli investigations, considering them as a formality, and nothing more than attempts to cover up the criminals and killers.”
“The Embassy has always warned against continuous Israeli attempts to politicise the crime of execution of the martyr Abu Akleh, obliterating it and referring it against an unknown person, acquitting the perpetrators and those who stand behind them, noting that the series of executions and extrajudicial killings against our people is still ongoing,” the statement read.
Akleh's family and Al Jazeera, Akleh's employer, accuse Israel forces of killing the 51-year-old journalist in May. She was among journalists covering an Israeli military operation in Jenin.
In September, the Israel Defence Forces admitted there is a “high possibility” the journalist was shot by Israeli fire.
“It appears that it is not possible to unequivocally determine the source of the gunfire, which hit and killed Abu Akleh,” the IDF said in a statement.
"However, there is a high possibility that Akleh was accidentally hit by IDF gunfire fired toward suspects identified as armed Palestinian gunmen during an exchange of fire.”
But Israel Defence Minister Benny Gantz in reaction to the development termed the decision by the US as a mistake.
“The IDF [Israel Defence Forces] has conducted a professional, independent investigation, which was presented to American officials with whom the details were shared,” Gantz said on Twitter.
He added that he had delivered a message to US representatives that they stand by the IDF’s soldiers and that Israel will not cooperate with an external investigation, and will not enable intervention to internal investigations.
