This report was finalised before the onset of the current, most deadly round of war against Palestine in years.

Al Jazeera welcomed the findings of the Independent International Investigative Committee of the United Nations, which recognised that Israeli forces used “lethal force without justification” when they shot and killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied West Bank, violating her “right to life”.

“Al Jazeera Media Network welcomed the findings of the Independent International Investigative Committee of the United Nations in connection to the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, Al Jazeera correspondent in Palestine. Based on these findings, the Network is calling to take swift action to ensure justice for her and hold her killers accountable,” the network’s statement read.

The UN Commission’s report left no room for doubt and declared that Israeli occupation forces (IOF) employed “lethal force without justification” in targeting the late Abu Akleh.

It underscored the urgent necessity of holding both those responsible for her death and those involved in her targeting accountable for their actions.

The UN body called for full cooperation from the Israeli regime in the United States investigation into the killing of Abu Akleh. Al Jazeera backed Commission’s commitment to sharing the evidence it has gathered with the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“Al Jazeera supports the Commission’s pledge to provide the evidence it has gathered to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in order to support the Court’s investigation into the situation in the State of Palestine,” the Al Jazeera statement said.

This move is seen as crucial to supporting the Court’s ongoing investigation into the situation in Palestine. Al Jazeera appealed to the Prosecutor of the ICC, Karim Khan, urging him to initiate an immediate investigation into the killing of Abu Akleh.

The Qatar-based media network has also renewed its unwavering dedication to Shireen’s family and colleagues, stressing its determination to leave no legal stone unturned in the pursuit of justice and accountability for her death.

The IOF shot and killed Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist, on 11 May 2022 while she was covering a raid on the Jenin refugee camp. 

The IOF soldier proceeded to aim at Abu Akleh despite her clearly identifying as a member of the press with her blue vest and helmet, in what many have countlessly described as a deliberate killing and an attempt to silence media on the ground.

“The killing of Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin is a direct result of Israel’s militarisation of law enforcement operations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” said Navi Pillay, Chair of the Commission, as quoted by Aljazeera.

“Shireen Abu Akleh is another victim of the excessive and disproportionate force used by Israeli security forces in these operations. This was also an attack against journalists, who were all clearly identifiable, which is a recurring pattern identified by the Commission.”

Despite the Israeli soldier admitting to the crime, occupation forces official, Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi at the time refused to order an investigation as she believed “there is no suspicion of a criminal act.”

The report, spanning from May 2021 to August 2023, revealed that civilians have been disproportionately affected by the escalating Israeli aggression against Palestinians.

This report was finalised before the onset of the current, most deadly round of war against Palestine in years.

“Our report is painful and timely,” said Pillay.

“It emphasises that the only path towards ending violence and achieving sustainable peace is through strict observance of international law throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel. This requires addressing the root causes of the conflict, including the occupation of Palestinian territory, and allowing the Palestinians to exercise their right to self-determination.”

The report was scheduled for presentation to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

It found Israel’s current restriction of food and medicine to Gaza a breach of international law. The report further asserted that Israel’s policies concerning Gaza are intrinsically linked to an occupation that shows no inclination towards being terminated.

In occupied East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, the commission also outlined what it characterised as a “distinct hierarchy” in the methods employed by Israel to disperse demonstrators. The report emphasised that Palestinians in these occupied areas frequently face the “harshest and often lethal responses” from Israeli authorities.

This comes as Israel threatened to “teach UN a lesson” after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Israel for its “clear violations of international law” in its ongoing war on Gaza and said the Hamas assault “did not happen in a vacuum.”

Addressing the Security Council on Tuesday, Guterres delivered his toughest observations on the Gaza war, triggering ire by Israel and calls for resignation by its UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan.

“I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law,” Guterres said in a UN Security Council session.

Despite falling short of naming Israel explicitly, Guterres went on to state that Palestinians have been “subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation,” and highlighted “it is important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum.”

Israel’s representative described the UN chief’s speech as “shocking” and urged him to resign. Erdan also threatened to deny visas to UN officials as a response to the comments.

“Due to his remarks, we will refuse to issue visas to UN representatives,” Erdan tells Army Radio.

“We have already refused a visa for Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths,” Erdan added. “The time has come to teach them a lesson.”

On Tuesday, authorities confirmed more than 700 people were killed in Gaza just 24 hours alone, marking the highest daily death toll since the war commenced on 7 October.

Israeli regime’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu applauded the massacre on Tuesday night, saying: “Yesterday, in our attacks in Gaza, we struck the enemy the harshest blow they have taken in a single day.”

According to reports, the documented murder toll among Palestinians in Gaza has neared 6,000, 70% of which are children, women and the elderly.

About 1,500 people have been reported missing and are presumed to be trapped or dead under the rubble.