ANKARA

This has been a week of mixed emotions for the Abu Akleh family.

They have watched in horror as Israeli airstrikes and bombardment continue to pummel Gaza, killing thousands of people, many among them women and children.

But they also had a moment of vindication this week, a bittersweet one nonetheless.

That was when a UN-mandated investigative body released a new report saying that Israeli forces employed “lethal force without justification” when they shot and killed journalist Shireen Abu Akleh last year.

Shireen, a senior Al Jazeera journalist widely respected for her extensive coverage of Palestine and Israel, was shot in the head while reporting on an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin in May 2022.

The Abu Akleh family and Al Jazeera have been clear in their stance that Shireen was targeted by Israeli forces, pushing for an International Criminal Court investigation into the death of the 51-year-old Jerusalem native and US citizen.

Israeli authorities initially claimed she was hit during crossfire between Palestinians and the Israeli army.

An Israeli military report released a few months later said it was “not possible to unequivocally determine the source of the gunfire,” but admitted there was “a high possibility” that Shireen was “accidentally hit” by Israeli soldiers.

For Anton Abu Akleh, her elder brother, the new report raises hope for “the right decision” and that someone will finally be held accountable for his sister’s murder.

“We hope that this will bring the International Criminal Court to take immediate action to start prosecuting those responsible and hold them accountable, achieving justice for this heinous crime,” Anton told Anadolu in a video interview.

Anton, however, knows well that there is still a long way to go in the family’s quest for justice.

“We have met lots of challenges, lack of cooperation from the Israeli authorities. They refused to provide any of their investigation, the so-claimed investigation which nobody saw,” he said.

“We also were hoping that they will provide evidence, they will provide the rifle that was used to shoot Shireen. None of this was provided. They didn’t cooperate or are not willing to cooperate with any investigation … They refused to cooperate. This was the biggest challenge.”

He explained that the investigation by the US Department of Justice is ongoing and the family is hopeful “that the outcome will be the same, like the UN commission came up with.”

“We hope the international community will take this report seriously and they will start putting some pressure on the Israeli side. But unfortunately, so far, nothing is happening. Nothing has happened,” he added.

‘Same thing happening’

With the ongoing conflict, Anton sees the similarities in how the Israeli authorities try to shrug off responsibility for their actions, the most glaring example being the recent attack on the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital.

Hundreds of people were killed in the attack, which Palestinian officials say was an Israeli strike. Israel, however, has denied responsibility, instead blaming the armed group Palestinian Jihad.

“This is the same story that is repeating itself. The day that Shireen was killed, we saw several narratives … six or seven narratives giving false information, false video footage from different places, saying that Shireen was targeted by Palestinian militants. That proved to be totally wrong,” he said.

“We see the same thing happening with the hospital. They announced that they targeted the hospital, and a few hours later, they removed this tweet ... from social media, and they started blaming other militants and other organizations of doing it, which is totally wrong.”

He said the hospital bombing was an “outrageous crime,” stressing that “someone should be held accountable.”

“It’s sad to see the international community standing by not doing anything. They at least could have condemned what happened strongly and insist on having an investigation,” he said.

“We see all the international leaders visiting Israel and providing support, and nobody is providing support to Gaza, which has been under siege for over 15 years. This is very sad. These double standards should come to an end … I hope there will be a change very soon to end this impunity and to bring those responsible to justice.”​​​​​​​