U.N. Human Rights office says journalist killed by Israeli defense forces

June 24 (UPI) -- The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said Friday that journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by shots fired by Israeli Security Forces and not by indiscriminate fire from armed Palestinians.

"We have found no information suggesting that there was activity by armed Palestinians in the immediate vicinity of the journalists," UNHCR said in a statement.

The agency statement also said, "More than six weeks after the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and injury of her colleague Ali Sammoudi in Jenin on 11 May 2022, it is deeply disturbing that Israeli authorities have not conducted a criminal investigation."

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet continues to urge Israeli authorities to open a criminal investigation into Abu Akleh's killing.

Israel decided not to investigate the journalist's murder.

During Abu Akleh's funeral, Israeli police obstructed the funeral convoy on its way to East Jerusalem.

UNHCR said all information it has gathered from its independent monitoring of the incident is consistent with the finding that the shots that killed Abu Akleh and injured Ali Sammoudi came from Israeli forces.

"Our findings indicate that no warnings were issued and no shooting was taking place at that time and at that location," UNHCR said.

The Al Jazeera journalist was killed May 11 while covering an Israeli raid on a Palestinian refugee camp. Other journalists at the scene reported that Israeli forces were behind the gunfire and no Palestinian fighters were present.

Nevertheless, Israel claimed Palestinians were shooting and Abu Akleh was killed when Israeli forces returned fire.

According to Al Jazeera, Ali Sammoudi reported that the journalists were going to film the Israeli raid and were suddenly shot without warning. He said the Army was adamant on shooting to kill.

The UNHCR account of the incident said the journalists were shot from the direction of the Israeli forces and Abu Akleh was killed b ya single bullet to the head.

Shots continued to be fired, according to UNHCR, as an unarmed man approached Abu Akleh's body and another journalist sheltering behind a tree.