“Sorry, with all due respect, this has not been confirmed,” said U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, in response to a question about why Israel was not held accountable for the murder of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
Agence France-Presse reported that while attending a forum for journalism students on the sidelines of the Latin America Summit in Los Angeles, the head of U.S. diplomacy asked why “no results came out” for the historic ally of the US, Israel. The US replied, “Sorry, with all due respect, not yet confirmed,” noting that it was Blinken in the case of Abu Akila’s murder.
“We look forward to an independent and credible investigation. And when that investigation happens, we will follow the facts wherever they take us. That is clear, ”Blinken said, clarifying the US position.
Blinken, who spoke to the Abu Aqila family earlier on the phone, said he “condemned Shireen’s disappearance in the strongest terms”. He is a well -known American journalist and citizen.
A Palestinian investigation reported, “Shirin Abu Akla was killed by an Israeli soldier using a sniper rifle. The CNN report quoted witnesses as saying that Shireen Abu Akla was deliberately targeted by Israeli forces. ”
Israel “angrily” denies these “claims,” saying it is investigating the issue and asking Palestinians to participate in a joint investigation.
The response of Israeli officials was that Abu Aqila “may have been killed by a stray bullet fired by a Palestinian gunman in the area or accidentally by an Israeli soldier”.
In addition, dozens of Democratic Congressmen urged the FBI to conduct an investigation to reach an unbiased conclusion on the murder.
Source: AFP
Source: Arabic RT
