The PA on Wednesday blamed Israel for the death of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, alleging she was purposely targeted by Israeli snipers without providing evidence that this was the case.
In a letter written by Dr. Riyad Mansour, the PA representative to the UN, the PA made the claim that “Shireen was hit in the head by live fire as she and her team from Al Jazeera News arrived at the Jenin refugee camp to report on an IOF raid of the camp. She was wearing her PRESS jacket and helmet and yet was shot and killed by a bullet that entered her head through her ear – which the helmet was not covering – a precise shot by Israeli snipers trained, permitted and ordered to kill and maim Palestinians.”
Mansour asked for his letter to be distributed to members of the Security Council for “for their immediate, valuable consideration” and to be entered as an official Security Council document.
However, Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan issued a statement on Wednesday calling for a joint investigation over the reporter’s death.
"Al Jazeera's reporter Shireen Abu Aqleh was killed in Jenin, where many of the Palestinian terrorists who recently murdered 19 Israelis came from. She was killed during a counter-terror operation and we express sorrow for her loss,” Erdan said.
"The Palestinian Authority rushed to blame Israel without even the ability to know the facts,” he added.
Erdan called on the PA to agree to transparency and a joint investigation but said they have so far refused.
“Her death is a tragedy but no one should use it for political gains, especially those who violate human rights on a daily basis,” he said.