The Axios news website said that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid - during a phone call - that Washington wants to see "accountability" for the killing of Al-Jazeera correspondent Shirin Abu Akleh.
The website - quoting Israeli officials - stated that Blinken, who called Balpid to congratulate him and to discuss President Joe Biden's upcoming visit to the region, raised with him the issue of Abu Akila's killing, wondering what could be done more, as well as the findings of the US security coordinator on the crime.
He indicated - according to a US official - that Blinken indicated that Washington would continue to work closely with the Israelis and Palestinians on the killing of Abu Aqila, stressing the need for accountability.
Axios quoted Israeli officials as saying that Tel Aviv will not take any other action regarding the Abu Akila case, other than the internal military measures that were previously announced.
The American website said that Blinken's comments indicate that Washington wants the Shirin Abu Akle case to remain open, despite the Israelis' hope to close the file following the previous US State Department statement.
two separate investigations
And Washington announced last Monday that the US security coordinator concluded - after reviewing two separate investigations conducted by the Israeli army and the Palestinian Authority, in addition to the forensic analysis - that Shireen Abu Aqleh was most likely killed by shooting from the site of the Israeli army.
The US State Department said that ballistics experts, who worked under the supervision of the US Security Coordinator, concluded that the bullet that killed Abu Aqila on May 11 was severely damaged in a way that prevented a clear conclusion, and that independent investigators were unable to reach a final conclusion. After a detailed forensic analysis of the projectile.
She also said that the coordinator did not find any reason to believe that Shirin's killing was premeditated, but that it was "the result of tragic circumstances during a military operation," as she put it.
It is noteworthy that White House spokeswoman Karen Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday that her country wants to see accountability for the killing of Abu Akleh, "and this is a very important matter," she said.
She stressed that the US administration is still engaged with Israel and the Palestinian Authority regarding the next steps, and made it clear that officials at the US State Department are in close contact with the family of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
The head of the Political Bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Ismail Haniyeh, also called, during his meeting in the Algerian capital, with Speaker of the National Assembly, Salih Gojil, to make more efforts to prosecute the leaders of the Israeli occupation in international courts.
Haniyeh said that it is necessary "to hold the occupation leaders accountable for their crimes against the Palestinian people, especially the murder of journalist Shirin."