The United States must release its new report on the shooting death of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh before any changes are made to its contents, Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen said in a letter he sent to the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday.
“I ask that you immediately authorize the release of the full and unedited … report under appropriate classification to me and other interested Members of Congress,” Van Hollen wrote.
What happened to Shireen Abu Akleh?
The veteran Al Jazeera correspondent was fatally shot while covering a firefight in Jenin between the IDF and Palestinian gunmen on May 11, 2022.
She was wearing a helmet and flack jacket that clearly identified her as a journalist when she was shot.There has been no definitive determination as to who fired the lethal bullet. The Palestinian Authority has accused the IDF of deliberately targeting her, while the US and Israel have said that the IDF may have accidentally shot her.
Senator Van Hollen alongside community leaders (credit: OMRI NAHMIAS)Van Hollen said that the US Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority (USSC), who did an initial report on the matter last summer, has now completed a full investigation into the incident, which turned Abu Akleh into an international heroine.
“My office has been in contact with individuals at the State Department several times over the last 12 days regarding this matter,” the Senator from Maryland wrote.
“Most recently, we were informed that, before the Congressional release of the USSC Report is authorized, the Administration plans to make unspecified changes to its contents.
While the Administration has characterized its proposed changes as ‘technical,’ any actions to alter the USSC’s Summation Report in any way would violate the integrity of this process,” Van Hollen stated.
“As we approach the one-year anniversary of Ms. Abu Akleh’s death, no one has been held accountable and no independent, official investigation has been completed.
“At the same time, the Security Coordinator has had the opportunity to review an array of in-depth analyses and assessments in order to complete the Summation Report,” Van Hollen said.
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