The Palestinian National Authority says it has provided the United States officials with the bullet that killed prominent Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
The U.S. embassy in Jerusalem and Israeli officials made no immediate comment.
Akleh died in Jenin, a city in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, while reporting on a then-recent Israeli raid in the area.
Akleh was killed instantly from a shot to the head, and one of her colleagues was wounded from a shot to the shoulder. Both were wearing press vests at the time of the shooting.
Al Jazeera, the press organization Akleh worked for, said the shooting was an “assassination in cold blood.”
Following the shooting, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett issued a statement saying, “According to the information we have gathered, it appears likely that armed Palestinians — who were firing indiscriminately at the time — were responsible for the unfortunate death of the journalist.”
Al Jazeera producer Ali Samoudi was the colleague of Akleh who was also shot. From his hospital bed, he told Middle East Eyre that “There were no resistance fighters around us,” and that “when there are Palestinian fighters shooting, we don’t go.” (His response here has been translated into English by Middle East Eyre)
Despite evidence suggesting the Israeli army killed her, Israel’s Prime Minister called for a “joint pathological investigation” with the Palestinians in order to determine the facts of Abu Akleh’s death. The Palestinian National Authority has instead called for an international investigation into the incident, stating that the official involvement of Israel would undermine the credibility of the inquiry. The U.S. has also been calling on the two to share evidence.
Abu Akleh’s family have voiced doubts as to whether or not the investigation will lead to accountability, and say no officials have updated them on who will examine the bullet.
Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2022/07/02/1109591048/al-jazeera-shireen-abu-akleh-bullet-investigation
https://www.npr.org/2022/05/11/1098157067/al-jazeera-shireen-abu-akleh-killed-israel
The U.S. embassy in Jerusalem and Israeli officials made no immediate comment.
Akleh died in Jenin, a city in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, while reporting on a then-recent Israeli raid in the area.
Akleh was killed instantly from a shot to the head, and one of her colleagues was wounded from a shot to the shoulder. Both were wearing press vests at the time of the shooting.
Al Jazeera, the press organization Akleh worked for, said the shooting was an “assassination in cold blood.”
Following the shooting, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett issued a statement saying, “According to the information we have gathered, it appears likely that armed Palestinians — who were firing indiscriminately at the time — were responsible for the unfortunate death of the journalist.”
Al Jazeera producer Ali Samoudi was the colleague of Akleh who was also shot. From his hospital bed, he told Middle East Eyre that “There were no resistance fighters around us,” and that “when there are Palestinian fighters shooting, we don’t go.” (His response here has been translated into English by Middle East Eyre)
Despite evidence suggesting the Israeli army killed her, Israel’s Prime Minister called for a “joint pathological investigation” with the Palestinians in order to determine the facts of Abu Akleh’s death. The Palestinian National Authority has instead called for an international investigation into the incident, stating that the official involvement of Israel would undermine the credibility of the inquiry. The U.S. has also been calling on the two to share evidence.
Abu Akleh’s family have voiced doubts as to whether or not the investigation will lead to accountability, and say no officials have updated them on who will examine the bullet.
Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2022/07/02/1109591048/al-jazeera-shireen-abu-akleh-bullet-investigation
https://www.npr.org/2022/05/11/1098157067/al-jazeera-shireen-abu-akleh-killed-israel
