Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz heads to the United States today to hold a series of talks with US administration officials, where his talks will top the issue of the assassination of colleague Shireen Abu Akleh and the occupation forces' suppression of her funeral in occupied Jerusalem, according to the official Israeli radio.
This coincides with the assertion of a Dutch investigative group that the occupation authorities may be responsible for the killing of Abu Aqila, and the intention of the French Hospital in Jerusalem to sue the police and Israeli officials for the violent incidents and intrusions that accompanied her funeral.
The Israeli radio indicated that, during his visit to Washington, Gantz will meet with the US foreign and defense ministers, and that US officials are asking the Israeli government for clarifications regarding the behavior of the occupation forces in the Abu Akila case.
The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, renewed his condolences for the loss of Shireen Abu Akleh, and said that he appreciates the journalistic work she did in her life and that his country supports the investigation into her murder, noting that he spoke directly with her brother.
international investigation
For her part, US Representative Mary Newman confirmed - in a previous interview with Al Jazeera - that she would demand the administration of President Joe Biden to pressure to open an investigation into the assassination "as soon as possible."
Senator Gilbert Roger, Vice-Chairman of the Foreign Affairs, Defense and Armed Forces Committee in the French Senate, also said that his country should do more than just condemn the assassination of Abu Akleh, noting that "justice can only be achieved by an independent international investigation."
In its last interaction with the case of the assassination of Abu Aqleh, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said that it will move all embassies and missions of the State of Palestine to expose and condemn the crime of execution of Shirin Abu Aqleh.
On the other hand, the Netherlands-based Bellingcat investigative group concluded that the preliminary results of the investigation into the killing of our colleague Shireen Abu Akleh are likely to be due to an Israeli gunshot.
The researchers relied on analyzing visual and audio evidence, which in turn was corroborated by eyewitness accounts that the source of the fire was Israeli.
Giancarlo Fiorella, senior research participant, said that the Israeli forces were in the closest and clearest field of view to Shirin, stressing that the emergence of additional evidence usually reinforces the initial conclusions and never cancels them.
In a related context, the administration of the French Hospital in Jerusalem considered the attack by the Israeli police on the funeral procession of Shireen Abu Akleh a "violation of humanitarian laws," noting that it is seriously considering the possibility of prosecuting the Israeli police for its actions and holding those responsible accountable.
In a press conference, the administration denounced the occupation forces' storming of hospital buildings during Abu Aqila's funeral and their violence against the mourners.
It showed pictures showing the Israeli police forces storming the hospital corridors and intimidating patients who frequent it, stressing the need for the force of law to prevail over all violent forces and practices.
Occupation novel
The Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, had earlier reported the details of the occupation's latest account of the assassination of Shirin Abu Aqleh last Wednesday in Jenin camp, while the Palestinian Authority renewed its refusal to participate in any investigation by Israel in this regard.
The newspaper quoted an Israeli official as saying that an Israeli soldier fired about 190 meters from the whereabouts of the Al-Jazeera reporter in Jenin, and he may have hit her.
The Israeli newspaper added that the soldier accused of assassinating Shirin said during his interrogation that he had not seen her and did not know that he had shot her;
Noting that the soldier was sitting in a jeep armed with a rifle fitted with a telescopic lens.
Military expert and analyst Wassef Erekat told Al Jazeera that the new Israeli narrative, which was reported by Haaretz newspaper, aims to exonerate the Israeli soldier who shot Shirin.
It is noteworthy that the occupation recounted more than one story over the past few days, where it began by accusing Palestinian resistance fighters, before declaring that the source of the fire could not be determined, the latest of which was the story reported by Haaretz newspaper.