Israel must be held to account for Shireen's murder

Like a worm on a fish hook, Tel Aviv is slithering and wriggling over the assassination of Palestinian journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh.

Showing absolutely no shame, the Zionist State began spewing out lies and a false narrative the moment the iconic Al-Jazeera journalist hit the ground, taking her last breath.

Be in no doubt, Israel is guilty of a war crime and, if there is any justice left in this part of the world, then the Israeli sniper who pulled the trigger should be put before the International Criminal Court.

Russian soldiers who targeted Ukraine journalists are currently being investigated with due haste and so the United Nations should move with equal speed to bring Shireen’s killer to justice.

The sniper’s bullet pierced her skull just below her ear. Less than an inch either way, and she would have been protected by her helmet or high collared flak jacket which was clearly marked “Press”.

READ: Shireen Abu Akleh’s killing is a ‘possible war crime’, says UN Rapporteur on Palestine

This was not a ‘caught-in-the-cross-fire’ situation or the work of a random or deflected bullet. This was the labour of a precision sniper who calmly squeezed the trigger of the gun after fixing Shireen in his crosshairs. In other words, a cold-blooded murder.

Shireen, a Palestinian Christian with US citizenship, was a celebrated journalist with a stunning three-decades-long career covering the Middle East. Completely fearless, she spent her life dodging bullets in the occupied Palestinian lands to report on stories for the Doha-based broadcaster.

As Professor Kamal Hawwash wrote yesterday in Memo: “Shireen is not the first Palestinian journalist to be killed by a State that continues to act above the law and which sees all Palestinians as subhuman. This is partly what led three human rights groups B’Tselem, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International to conclude that Israeli policies meet the definition of Apartheid in the Rome Statute.”

Shireen had gone to the Jenin refugee camp early on Wednesday morning, a few days before the commemorations of the 1948 Nakba. The veteran journalist was covering the latest series of raids on the West Bank city and she and her producer, who took a bullet in his back, made themselves known to the Israeli forces already there.

Immediately after the significance of her death began to resonate, the weasel words of Prime Minister, Naftalie Bennett, were tweeted: “According to the information we have gathered it appears likely that armed Palestinians – who were firing indiscriminately at the time – were responsible for the unfortunate death of the journalist.”

READ: Saudi prince criticises Western reporting on killing of Shireen Abu Akleh

I suppose when you consider the Israeli State was built on a lie then we should not be too surprised when its leaders spew forth fake news and false narratives about the war crimes committed by the regime’s out-of-control military.

Someone who knows better is photographer Tom Hurndall’s mother, Jocelyn, who tweeted: “Israel’s claim a Palestinian was “likely” responsible for the killing of Shireen is a carbon copy of Israel’s fabricated ‘report’ when an IDF sniper shot my son, Tom. It showed the wrong location and line of fire, and there were no Palestinian gunmen in the area.”

I watched one graphic video which clearly showed the moment she was shot, and how those around her came under continued fire from Israeli soldiers as they tried to move her body … evidence of yet more war crimes.

Tel Aviv knows fine well that Shireen was assassinated by one of their own, yet they continue to try and muddy the waters while showing not one ounce of remorse.

When will their supporters, including those sitting in Washington, Westminster, Brussels, and the United Nations bring a halt to the lies, murders and war crimes committed by the rogue state of Israel?

Shireen is not the first Palestinian journalist to be murdered by the Zionist State but we can all make sure she is the last if her killer is arrested, charged, and handed over to the ICC.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.