By Simon Lewis
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The family of slain journalist Shireen Abu Akleh demanded justice for the Al Jazeera reporter’s killing ahead of a meeting in Washington with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday.
Lina Abu Akleh, her niece, posted a video on Twitter from outside the State Department saying that she and other family members “are here to demand justice for Shireen.”
Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American, was killed on May 11 during an Israeli raid in the town of Jenin in the occupied West Bank under circumstances that remain bitterly disputed.
The State Department said this month that Abu Akleh was likely killed by gunfire from Israeli positions but that it was probably unintentional, citing an investigation by the U.S. Security Coordinator.
Abu Akleh’s family and Palestinian officials have criticized the report and maintained she was deliberately targeted. Israel denies this.
“We will pursue accountability for her murder wherever it may take us,” said a statement on Twitter from Lina, Shireen’s brother Tony and nephew Victor. “Shireen lived to uncover the truth behind every story, and so shall we.”
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The family had accused the United States of providing impunity for Israel over her killing. They unsuccessfully requested a meeting with President Joe Biden in person during his trip to Israel this month.
(Reporting by Simon Lewis; Editing by Howard Goller)
