United Nations
15 May 2022, 04:21 GMT+10
Investigations must be held into the actions of the Israeli security forces, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said on Saturday, calling for accountability and an end to impunity.
Her appeal comes in the wake of the killing of correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh, who was fatally shot on Wednesday while covering an Israeli raid in Jenin, West Bank.
The veteran Palestinian-American journalist was buried in East Jerusalem on Friday and huge crowds turned out for her funeral.
The High Commissioner issued a statement saying she was following "with deep distress" the events in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
"Footage of Israeli police attacking mourners at the funeral procession of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in East Jerusalem on Friday 13 May was shocking. Reports indicate that at least 33 people were injured," she said.
Ms. Bachelet said the Israeli use of force, which was being filmed and broadcast live, appeared to be unnecessary and must be promptly and transparently investigated.
"There must be accountability for the terrible killing not just of Shireen Abu Akleh but for all the killings and serious injuries in the occupied Palestinian territory," she said.
The UN rights chief reported that 48 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces so far this year.
The latest death occurred on Saturday when a young man called Walid al-Sharif, succumbed to injuries sustained during clashes last month at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem.
"As I have called for many times before, there must be appropriate investigations into the actions of Israeli security forces," said Ms. Bachelet.
"Anyone found responsible should be held to account with penal and disciplinary sanctions commensurate to the gravity of the violation. This culture of impunity must end now."
The killing of Ms. Abu Akleh has sent shockwaves across the globe, and UN officials have been among those calling for an investigation.
The journalist was shot even though she wore a vest that identified her as a member of the press corps. Her producer also was wounded.
The UN Security Council issued a statement on Friday strongly condemning her killing, reiterating that journalists should be protected as civilians.
The Council also called for an immediate, thorough, transparent, and fair and impartial investigation into her killing, and stressed the need to ensure accountability.
Get a daily dose of Haiti Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Haiti Sun.
More InformationWASHINGTON D.C.: The U.S. State Department has announced the launch of a new program to capture and analyze evidence of ...
JAKARTA, Indonesia: A new poll released this week indicated that Indonesian President Joko Widodo's approval rating has hit a six-year ...
EAST JAVA, Indonesia: A tourist bus crashed into a billboard on a highway on Indonesia's main island of Java this ...
BELGRADE, Serbia: Belgrade was paralyzed this week by a series of bomb threats, including against schools, bridges, restaurants and a ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: In a tweet this week, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos criticized President Joe Biden for the second time in ...
TEHRAN, Iran: According to social media posts, protests that began last week across Iran over a reduction in state subsidies ...
Detroit, Michigan: General Motors, Ford and Chrysler parent Stellantis NV said they are reinstating the face mask mandate for employees ...
SEOUL, South Korea: As North Korea grapples with a severe COVID-19 outbreak, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has said that ...
SYDNEY, NSW, Australia - Stocks in Asia mostly sank on Thursday, following on from a rout on Wall Street overnight."There ...
LONDON, England: Israeli startup REE Automotive has announced that it will build an assembly plant for electric vehicles (EVs) in ...
BEIJING, China: The Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (Comac) completed a three-hour pre-delivery test flight of China's C919 aircraft at ...
NEW YORK, New York - Soaring prices have taken their toll on U.S. retailer Target which reported first-quarter profit had ...