JERUSALEM: The Israeli military on Monday admitted for the first time that one of its soldiers had shot a Palestinian-American reporter. Shirin Abu Akleho After mistaking him for a terrorist.
“There is a high probability that Ms. abu akleh was accidentally killed by the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) fired shots at suspects identified as armed Palestinian gunmen,” said the military’s final investigation report into the May 11 death.
The confession comes months after the military insisted it was impossible to trace the source of the fatal shot that killed the famous man. al Jazeera The journalist in the occupied West Bank said it could be a militant fire.
A senior Israeli military official said, “Our conclusion is that it is not possible to clearly determine which gunshot killed him, but it is more likely that he was accidentally shot by an IDF soldier.” was killed, which did not recognize him as a journalist.”
Abu Akleh was wearing a bulletproof vest and a helmet marked “PRESS” when he was shot in the head during an Israeli military operation.
In a press release issued in the wake of the military report, the Abu Akleh family said Israel “refused to take responsibility for the murder” of the journalist.
Calling for a “credible” US investigation, the family said, “We are deeply hurt, disappointed and disappointed.”
The Palestinian Authority accused Israel of deliberately killing a journalist at the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, while Israel insists that even if a soldier fired the fatal shot, it was not intentional.
Al-Jazeera said it condemned the findings of the Israeli investigation and called for an investigation by an “independent international body”.
“Al Jazeera condemns the reluctance of the Israeli occupation forces to unequivocally admit their guilt and efforts to avoid prosecution of the perpetrators,” the statement said.
On Monday, a senior military official told reporters that soldiers were firing heavily and that they aimed to kill Abu Aqleh as they mistook him as a Palestinian terrorist.
“When they fired in his direction, they didn’t know he was a journalist, it was a mistake, they thought they were firing at terrorists,” the officer said.
“He’s sorry and I’m sorry for that,” the officer said of the soldier who shot in the direction of Abu Akleh.
“They didn’t do it intentionally, it’s completely clear,” he said.
But the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists criticized the military report.
Sheriff Mansour, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, said: “The confession is late and incomplete. He did not name the killer of Shirin Abu Aqleh, nor did he provide any information other than his own testimony that The murder was a mistake.”
The Israeli rights group B’Salem, a campaigner against Israel’s settlement expansion, denounced the military report as “whitewash”. The killing is “no mistake, it’s policy”, it said.
A UN investigation in June concluded that there was “no evidence of activity by armed Palestinians nearby” when Abu Akleh was shot.
The United States said on 4 July that he was probably shot by Israeli gunfire, but there is no evidence that the killing was intentional and that the bullet was too damaged for a conclusive search. .
After the release of the army report on Monday state Department Spokesman Ned Price Said: “We welcome Israel’s review of this tragic incident, and underscore again the importance of accountability in this matter, such as policies and procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future.”
The US statement in July angered the family of Abu Akle and Palestinian leaders, who accused Washington of failing to take accountability from Israel over the killing of the journalist, who also had US citizenship.
“We continue to demand accountability and justice for Shireen,” the journalist’s niece Lena Abu Akle said in Washington after meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
In May, Israel’s military advocate said there was no suspicion of criminal activity since the incident occurred in an active war zone.
Military counsel said on Monday that the circumstances of the incident “do not raise suspicion of the commission of a crime that would justify the opening of a criminal investigation”.
“There is a high probability that Ms. abu akleh was accidentally killed by the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) fired shots at suspects identified as armed Palestinian gunmen,” said the military’s final investigation report into the May 11 death.
The confession comes months after the military insisted it was impossible to trace the source of the fatal shot that killed the famous man. al Jazeera The journalist in the occupied West Bank said it could be a militant fire.
A senior Israeli military official said, “Our conclusion is that it is not possible to clearly determine which gunshot killed him, but it is more likely that he was accidentally shot by an IDF soldier.” was killed, which did not recognize him as a journalist.”
Abu Akleh was wearing a bulletproof vest and a helmet marked “PRESS” when he was shot in the head during an Israeli military operation.
In a press release issued in the wake of the military report, the Abu Akleh family said Israel “refused to take responsibility for the murder” of the journalist.
Calling for a “credible” US investigation, the family said, “We are deeply hurt, disappointed and disappointed.”
The Palestinian Authority accused Israel of deliberately killing a journalist at the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, while Israel insists that even if a soldier fired the fatal shot, it was not intentional.
Al-Jazeera said it condemned the findings of the Israeli investigation and called for an investigation by an “independent international body”.
“Al Jazeera condemns the reluctance of the Israeli occupation forces to unequivocally admit their guilt and efforts to avoid prosecution of the perpetrators,” the statement said.
On Monday, a senior military official told reporters that soldiers were firing heavily and that they aimed to kill Abu Aqleh as they mistook him as a Palestinian terrorist.
“When they fired in his direction, they didn’t know he was a journalist, it was a mistake, they thought they were firing at terrorists,” the officer said.
“He’s sorry and I’m sorry for that,” the officer said of the soldier who shot in the direction of Abu Akleh.
“They didn’t do it intentionally, it’s completely clear,” he said.
But the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists criticized the military report.
Sheriff Mansour, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator, said: “The confession is late and incomplete. He did not name the killer of Shirin Abu Aqleh, nor did he provide any information other than his own testimony that The murder was a mistake.”
The Israeli rights group B’Salem, a campaigner against Israel’s settlement expansion, denounced the military report as “whitewash”. The killing is “no mistake, it’s policy”, it said.
A UN investigation in June concluded that there was “no evidence of activity by armed Palestinians nearby” when Abu Akleh was shot.
The United States said on 4 July that he was probably shot by Israeli gunfire, but there is no evidence that the killing was intentional and that the bullet was too damaged for a conclusive search. .
After the release of the army report on Monday state Department Spokesman Ned Price Said: “We welcome Israel’s review of this tragic incident, and underscore again the importance of accountability in this matter, such as policies and procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future.”
The US statement in July angered the family of Abu Akle and Palestinian leaders, who accused Washington of failing to take accountability from Israel over the killing of the journalist, who also had US citizenship.
“We continue to demand accountability and justice for Shireen,” the journalist’s niece Lena Abu Akle said in Washington after meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
In May, Israel’s military advocate said there was no suspicion of criminal activity since the incident occurred in an active war zone.
Military counsel said on Monday that the circumstances of the incident “do not raise suspicion of the commission of a crime that would justify the opening of a criminal investigation”.