The US State Department said on Monday that Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh may have been killed by unintentional gunfire from Israeli positions, but independent investigators were unable to reach a firm conclusion about the source of the bullet that hit her.
Palestinian-American Abu Akleh was killed during the Israeli attack on the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank on May 11th.
The US Security Coordinator (USSC), after summarizing investigations by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Palestinian Authority, said he concluded that fire from Israeli positions was most likely responsible for Abu Akleh’s death.
“The USSR believes this is not reason to believe it was intentional, but the result of tragic circumstances during an IDF-led military operation against Palestinian Islamic Jihad groups,” the State Department said in a statement. Said.
However, the US State Department said that in forensic analysis by third-party experts overseen by the USSC, ballistics experts determined that the bullet was heavily damaged, preventing any clear conclusions about its origin.
Palestinians say the Israeli army deliberately killed Abu Akleh. Israel denies this, saying it may have been shot by the army’s stray bullets or by the bullet of one of the Palestinian gunmen there clashing with its own forces.
A senior Palestinian official accused Washington of trying to protect Israel.
“The truth is clear, but the US government continues to hesitate to reveal it,” Vasel Abu Youssef, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee, told Reuters.
“We say that Israel killed Shireen Abu Akleh and should be held accountable for his crime,” he said.
The death of Abu Akleh, one of the most recognizable faces to cover the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, sparked outrage around the world, especially after his funeral in Jerusalem was marred by scenes where police beat people there.
The circumstances of his death and subsequent disagreements overshadowed US President Joe Biden’s planned visit this month.
The Israeli military said it will continue to investigate the incident and that the decision on whether to file any criminal charges will be made after an operational review.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Israel was determined to uncover the truth and that Israeli forces responded to heavy fire from gunmen in the city.
source: Noticias
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