The Israeli army acknowledged for the first time on Monday that Palestinian-American reporter Shireen Abu Akleh was likely shot dead by an Israeli soldier who mistook her for a militant.
“There is a strong possibility that Ms. Abu Akleh was accidentally hit by IDF (Israel Defense Forces) shots fired at suspects identified as Palestinian armed gunmen,” the army’s final investigative report on her death said May 11th.
The confirmation comes after months during which the army had insisted it was impossible to pinpoint the source of the fatal shot that killed the famous Al Jazeera journalist in the occupied West Bank, saying it could have been militant fire.
“Our conclusion is that it is not possible to determine with certainty which shots killed her, but there is a higher likelihood that she was hit by a missed shot by an IDF soldier who did not identify her as a journalist,” said a senior official Israeli military officer.
Abu Akleh was wearing a bulletproof vest marked “Press” and a helmet when she was shot in the head during the May 11 Israeli army operation.
The Abu Akleh family said Monday in a press release issued after the Israeli army’s investigative report that Israel had refused to accept responsibility for the journalist’s murder.
“We remain deeply hurt, frustrated and disappointed,” the family said, calling for a “credible” US investigation.
The Palestinian Authority accused Israel of deliberately killing the reporter in Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, while Israel insisted that even if a soldier fired the fatal shot, it was not intentional.
– “Call for Accountability” –
On Monday, the senior army officer told reporters that the Israeli soldiers were under heavy fire and were aiming to hit Abu Akleh, mistaking her for a Palestinian militant.
“When they fired in her direction, they didn’t know she was a journalist, it was a mistake, they thought they were shooting at terrorists who were shooting at them,” the officer said.
“He’s sorry and I’m sorry too,” the officer said of the soldier who fired in the direction of Abu Akleh.
“He didn’t do it on purpose, that’s perfectly clear,” he added.
A United Nations investigation in June concluded that there was “no evidence of armed Palestinian activity in the vicinity” when Abu Akleh was shot.
The United States said on July 4 she was likely shot by Israeli fire, but there was no evidence her killing was premeditated and that the bullet was too damaged to make a definitive finding.
The US statement outraged Abu Akleh’s family and Palestinian leaders, who accused Washington of failing to hold Israel accountable for the killing of the journalist, who also held US citizenship.
“We continue to demand accountability and justice for Shireen,” said Lina Abu Akleh, the journalist’s niece, in Washington after a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
In May, Israel’s military prosecutor said there was no suspicion of criminal activity because the incident took place in an active combat zone.
The military prosecutor said Monday that the circumstances of the incident “do not give rise to suspicion of a criminal offense that would justify the opening of criminal proceedings.”
