US State Secretary Antony Blinken on Sunday expressed his support to the family of slain Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and called for a credible investigation into the circumstances of the killing, local media reported.
Blinken expressed his deep condolences on a phone call with family members of Shireen Abu Akleh, while he was on his way to Berlin on Saturday to participate in a meeting of NATO foreign ministers.
“I had the opportunity to offer my sincere condolences and our deep respect for the work she has done as a journalist for several years,” he told reporters in Berlin, according to AFP.
He affirmed the support of American diplomats in Jerusalem for Abu Akleh’s family, who held American citizenship.
The Israeli occupation forces assassinated Shireen Abu Aqleh while she was on her way to cover the situation and developments in Jenin camp on Wednesday morning.
At her funeral on Friday, Israeli police descended on mourners who held Palestinian flags, as pallbearers struggled not to dump her coffin.
On May 14, Saturday, Blinken took to Twitter and wrote, “We were deeply troubled by the images of Israeli police intruding into the funeral procession of Palestinian American Shireen Abu Akleh. Every family deserves to lay their loved ones to rest in a dignified and unimpeded manner.”
According to media reports, Blinken expressed that he was deeply disturbed by the actions of the Israeli police and urged the Foreign Ministry to conduct a transparent investigation into her murder.
