UN secretary general, US lawmakers condemn Al-Jazeera journalist’s killing

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United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and several US lawmakers and key officials have condemned the killing of international news outlet Al-Jazeera’s journalist Shireen Abu Akleh’s killing.

In a statement issued via his spokesperson, Guterres said that he was “appalled” by the incident and demanded an investigation into the killing. He called on “the relevant authorities to carry out an independent and transparent investigation into this incident and ensure that those responsible are held accountable”.

“The secretary general condemns all attacks and killings of journalists and stresses that journalists must never be the target of violence,” Guterres’s spokesman said.

Separately US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the Abu Akleh’s killing a “horrific tragedy” and demanded a “thorough and objective investigation.”

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, while describing the slain journalist as a “reporting legend”, and called “for an immediate and thorough investigation and full accountability”.

US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib also called on the American government to probe the killing of Abu Akleh, saying that Washington must not allow “the same people committing those war crimes to do the investigation”, referring to Israel.

This comes as Palestine’s UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour said that his country would not accept a probe by the “Israeli occupying authority.” He said that the Israeli army was responsible for the “assassination” of Abu Akleh.

Speaking with media outside the UN headquarters in New York, Mansour said that Israel’s story was not credible, was fictitious and not realistic. He said that Palestine would not accept the probe as those who had carried out the event themselves were conducting an investigation.