Shireen Abu Akleh’s Body Was Autopsied, And Palestinians Did Not Refuse an Investigation

Misbar investigated the circulated claim and found it to be fake. Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian journalist, was laid to rest on Friday, May 13. Autopsy and forensic examination of the body were also completed. Palestinians did not refuse an international investigation; they requested one.

The Burial of Shireen Abu Akleh

Shireen Abu Akleh was laid to rest on Friday, May 13, and a memorial service was held in her honor in Ramallah on May 12.

Shireen Abu Akleh's brother, Tariq Anton Abu Akleh, stated that his sister's body would be buried in Jerusalem's Orthodox cemetery on Mount Zion. Following the burial, funeral services would be held in the church.

The Forensic Examination Procedure

Shireen Abu Akleh's body was ordered to be transferred for autopsy by the public prosecutor. Rayan Al-Ali, the head of the medicine department at al-Najah University in Nablus, confirmed on Wednesday, May 11, that Abu Akleh had been hit by a fatal bullet that lacerated the brain and skull bones.

The body was autopsied on the order of the Palestinian Public Prosecutor's Office. The bullet from Abu Akleh was sent to the criminal laboratory for analysis. Al-Ali stated at a press conference that the weapon used was "very fast."

During the conference, Al-Ali explained that a preliminary autopsy had been performed on the body up to this point, including the head where the injury occurred, and that the autopsy would be completed following the conference.

Palestinian officials did not rule out conducting an investigation into Abu Akleh's death. The Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammad Shtayyeh, has called for an international investigation to be conducted with the participation of the United Nations. He stated that the Palestinian side was willing to participate in the investigation, but he opposed Israel's participation, stating that "Israel's participation would undermine the integrity of the investigation."

The Palestinian authorities, led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, have stated their opposition to Israel's participation in the investigation. Israel, for its part, requested that the bullet that struck Abu Akleh be examined in the Criminal Investigations Department of the Israeli Military Police, which the Palestinians rejected.

Furthermore, during the memorial service for Abu Akleh, the Palestinian President announced that the case would be transferred to the International Criminal Court.

Translated by Ouissal Harize