Independent investigators could not reach a definitive conclusion about the origin of the bullet that struck her, he said. Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American, was killed on May 11 during an Israeli raid on the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank under circumstances that remain hotly contested. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Palestinian officials criticized the report and argued that it had been deliberately targeted. Israel denies this. One of the most recognizable figures reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Abu Akleh’s death sparked worldwide outrage, particularly after police beat mourners at her funeral in Jerusalem. read more The US Security Coordinator (USSC), after summarizing investigations by both the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Palestinian Authority, concluded that gunfire from Israeli positions was likely to be responsible for her death, State said. Department. “The USSC found no reason to believe this was intentional, but rather the result of tragic circumstances during an IDF-led military operation against Palestinian Islamic Jihad factions,” the State Department said in a statement. In forensic analysis by third-party examiners overseen by the USSC, ballistics experts found the bullet was severely damaged, preventing a clear conclusion as to its origin, the State Department said. The report did little to ease tensions between the two sides ahead of a visit by US President Joe Biden next week. Palestinian Attorney General Akram al-Khatib said the U.S. conclusion that the bullet did serious damage was incorrect and said Abu Akleh had been deliberately targeted. “The American statement that they found no reason to suggest that the targeting was deliberate is unacceptable,” Khatib said. The Palestinians will continue to take legal action against Israel at the International Criminal Court, he said. “Israel was responsible for her murder and must be held accountable,” said Nabil Abu Rudayneh, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Israel has denied that any of its soldiers killed Abu Akleh on purpose and has claimed that she may have been hit by errant army fire or a bullet from one of the Palestinian gunmen it says was clashing with its forces at the site. read more Last month, the United Nations human rights office said that the information it was able to gather from the incident suggested that Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli army fire, not by Palestinian fire. He said she was standing with other journalists and was clearly identifiable as a journalist by her helmet and blue jacket marked with a press badge when she was shot and killed by a single bullet. In the incident, a colleague was injured by another bullet. read more Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said Israel regretted Abu Akleh’s death, but said an Israeli military investigation concluded there was no intent to harm her and that it gave full support to the Israel Defense Forces. The Israeli military said it would continue to investigate the incident and a decision on whether to prosecute would be made after an operational review. Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Israeli forces responded to heavy gunfire in the city, which is home to a crowded refugee camp that sees regular clashes between Palestinians and Israeli troops. “The first to bear responsibility in such events are the terrorists who operate through the population centers,” he said in a statement. This version of events has been rejected by Palestinians who say there were no armed fighters in the area where Abu Akleh was killed. “The truth is that the Israeli military killed Shireen in accordance with policies that consider all Palestinians – civilians, civilians or otherwise – as legitimate targets,” her family said in a statement. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by Chris Gallagher. Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta in Ramallah and James Mackenzie in Jerusalem Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Lisa Shumaker and Angus MacSwan Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
