OHCHR’s statement regarding the death of journalist #ShireenAbuAkleh once again deplorably fails to mention the main obstacle to establishing the truth in this tragic incident: the Palestinian Authority’s refusal to conduct a joint investigation and hand over the bullet. 1/8

This Palestinian attitude raises doubts. Without this evidence, it is not possible for any “independent monitoring” to legitimately conclude whether Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by indiscriminate Palestinian fire, or accidentally hit by an IDF soldier. 2/8

Israel regrets any harm caused to any uninvolved persons during the conduct of operations, and takes great care to ensure freedom of opinion and expression, and to protect the invaluable work of journalists. 3/8

Since the incident, the IDF has been examining the circumstances of Shireen Abu Akleh's death. Recently, the Chief of Staff ordered to broaden the inquiry, and decided to expand the team working on it. So far, the inquiry has found that she was not shot intentionally. 4/8

Therefore, any such claims that she was are unfounded. 5/8

Over the weeks preceding the incident, 19 innocent people were killed in a wave of terrorist attacks in Israel. Eleven of those victims were killed by terrorists who came from Jenin. These are the events that led the IDF to conduct an operation in this area. 6/8

It is regrettable, yet not surprising, that the HC & her Office do not call for an investigation into those repeated terrorist attacks and the continued incitement by the Palestinians that led to the murder of Israeli civilians, including with firearms, knives and even axes. 7/8