Washington, DC – The household of Shireen Abu Akleh has rebuked Israel for saying it’s “sorry” for the Al Jazeera reporter’s loss of life with out offering accountability and even acknowledging that its forces killed her.
Talking exterior america Capitol in Washington, DC, on Thursday, Abu Akleh’s niece, Lina Abu Akleh, stated the Israeli assertion doesn’t quantity to an apology.
“To be very clear: The Israeli military didn’t admit to or apologise for murdering Shireen. To us, we don’t take into account that an apology,” Lina stated. “It’s actually a slap within the face to Shireen’s legacy and to our household. An apology — which that was not — just isn’t accountability.”
On Might 11, the primary anniversary of Abu Akleh’s taking pictures loss of life, an Israeli military spokesperson was requested by CNN whether or not the navy was “prepared” to apologise.
“I believe it’s a possibility for me to say right here that we’re very sorry of the loss of life of the late Shireen Abu Akleh,” the spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, responded.
On Thursday, Lina stated the slain journalist’s household is in search of accountability, which “requires motion”.
“From the second that Shireen was killed, the Israeli authorities and the navy have lied and distorted the reality,” she instructed reporters. “So it’s deeply upsetting that, on the one-year anniversary of Shireen’s killing, the Israeli navy — as soon as once more — they re-victimised the household.”
Lina has achieved work for Al Jazeera as a information producer, however she spoke on Thursday in her capability as an advocate for the Abu Akleh household.
The late Abu Akleh, a US citizen, was killed on Might 11, 2022, whereas masking an Israeli raid on the occupied West Financial institution metropolis of Jenin. At first, Israeli officers falsely accused Palestinian gunmen of fatally taking pictures the veteran reporter, who was famend throughout the Arab World.
Months after the killing, Israel acknowledged that one in every of its troopers probably killed Abu Akleh however dismissed the incident as unintentional. The Israeli authorities didn’t open a prison probe into the killing.
Quite a few media shops, rights teams and eyewitnesses have documented that there was no preventing within the instant neighborhood the place Abu Akleh was shot.
Nonetheless, the US — which offers Israel with at the very least $3.8bn in support yearly — has accepted the Israeli model of the occasions regardless of preliminary requires accountability and for an unbiased investigation.
Lina and different relations of the slain journalists are again in Washington, DC, this week to press the case.
“I’m right here with my household to proceed to demand accountability and justice for her killing and get extra assist from the Hill like we did final 12 months,” Lina instructed Al Jazeera.
In 2022, Abu Akleh’s relations met US lawmakers in addition to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, however the White Home didn’t fulfil their request to satisfy with President Joe Biden.
At a information convention on Capitol Hill on Thursday, a number of Democratic members of Congress joined Abu Akleh’s household to resume their requires justice.
The Biden administration has stated repeatedly that it’s calling for accountability by urgent Israel to alter its navy guidelines of engagement to stop related incidents from taking place sooner or later — a requirement that was explicitly rejected by Israeli leaders.
Lina instructed Al Jazeera on Thursday that, whereas she welcomes efforts to overview Israel’s guidelines of engagement, the push doesn’t meet the definition of accountability.
“We wish there to be accountability — for the soldier to be held accountable, for your complete system to be held to account for murdering a journalist and a US citizen,” she stated.