Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh 'likely' killed from Israeli position
A memorial to journalist Shireen Abu Akleh has been erected at the foot of the tree where she was shot on May 11, 2022. AP - Majdi Mohammed
Text by: RFI Follow
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American-Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, killed on May 11 in the occupied West Bank, was “
likely
” the victim of a shooting from an Israeli position, the American experts having “
no reason
” to believe that it was intentional shooting, the US State Department said Monday.
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While it considers that the shot that killed Shireen Abu Akleh "
probably
" came from an Israeli position, the American analysis could not reach a definitive conclusion as to the origin of the bullet that killed the journalist, the projectile being "
very damaged
",
specifies the State Department in a press release
.
He adds that there is no reason to believe that this death was intentional, but was the result of tragic circumstances linked to an operation against Palestinian Islamic Jihad factions.
Shireen Abu Akleh, a well-regarded and respected journalist with the Qatari channel Al-Jazeera, was covering an Israeli military operation in Jenin
when she shot dead
.
His death shook the Middle East.
Both the Palestinian Authority and Al Jazeera and Qatar, the country funding the TV channel, immediately accused the Israeli army of killing her.
Ramallah, who had always refused to hand over the projectile to the Israeli army,
had finally entrusted it to the Americans for expertise
, the latter having undertaken to return it to the Palestinians.
But the Israeli army said on Monday it had conducted a “
ballistic examination
” of the bullet itself – 5.56mm caliber and fired by a Ruger Mini-14 semi-automatic rifle, according to the Palestinian prosecutor – in the presence of “
security officials Americans
”.
The Palestinian Authority denounces an attempt to "
hide the truth
"
The Palestinian Authority on Monday denounced an attempt to "
hide the truth
" about the death of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
"
We do not accept attempts to hide the truth and we are not afraid to accuse Israel
(...)
which bears responsibility for the assassination of Shireen Abu Akleh
", commented on Twitter a tenor of the Palestinian Authority Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh.
For Palestinians, these results are not a surprise, but many confide on social networks that "
Shireen was killed a second time
".
They cite the investigations of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and those of at least five media, including the CNN television channel, which had found no evidence of Palestinian armed groups near the group of journalists this that day.
Israel continues to claim that it is impossible to know the exact origin of the shooting, Israeli or Palestinian, and continues to rule out a deliberate shooting in any case.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights concluded on June 24 that the Israeli army was responsible, an investigation dismissed as "
unfounded
" by Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz.
► To read also: Al-Jazeera journalist killed: Israel is "a country that frees itself from respect for the rule of law"
For their analysis, the American authorities say they have had “full access” to the investigations of the Israeli forces and the Palestinian Authority in recent weeks.
"
The United States
(...)
continues to encourage cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in this important matter
" and "
urges accountability
" in the matter, the spokesperson added on Monday. of American diplomacy, Ned Price.
(
With
AFP)
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