By ANTARA News/AFP,
London : The employers of a Palestinian cameraman who was killed by Israeli tank fire while filming in the Gaza Strip a month ago called for answers over his death from Israel`s military Thursday.
Fadel Shana, 24, who worked for international news agency Reuters, was wearing body armour bearing the word “press” when he was killed on April 16.
He had been covering clashes which had killed 18 Palestinians, most of them civilians and five of them under 15 years old, as well as three Israeli soldiers.
“A month has passed since Fadel Shana was killed by Israeli forces while responsibly going about his professional duties,” said Reuters` Middle East managing editor Mark Thompson.
“We urge the IDF (Israel Defence Force) to release its report on the incident now so that media organisations and the military can cooperate on ways (to) ensure journalists can continue to cover this conflict.”
A few days after Shana`s death, rights campaigners Human Rights Watch suggested that the Israeli tank crew may have fired on Shana “recklessly or deliberately”.
Israeli army spokeswoman Major Avital Leibovich said: “The Israel Defence Forces (are) working as quickly as possible to complete the investigation at all levels.”
She added that a field-level inquiry had already concluded the soldiers have done no wrong and that the tank crews involved have not been suspended and are still operating around the Gaza Strip.
“They acted according to their orders…We can say for sure that the soldiers weren`t able to detect that it was a member of the press. The IDF has no intention of targeting the press.”