Israel on Monday announced there was a “high probability,” but it was not “unequivocal,” that veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was “accidentally” killed by gunfire from Israeli troops during a firefight with Palestinian terrorists.
Israel’s Military Advocate General also said there was “no suspicion” of a criminal offense as he concluded a months-long probe.
“It is important to emphasize and clarify that throughout the entire incident, IDF gunfire was fired with the intent of neutralizing the terrorists who shot at IDF soldiers, also from the area in which Abu Akleh was present,” the IDF said in a statement. “Another possibility which remains relevant is that Abu Akleh was hit by bullets fired by armed Palestinian gunmen.”
The IDF said that for almost an hour, “life-risking, widespread and indiscriminate shots were fired toward IDF soldiers.”
“The Palestinian gunmen also hurled explosives at the soldiers and IDF military vehicles,” the report said. “Near the end of the activity, the journalist Abu Akleh was hit.”
IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi said that “at no point was Abu Akleh identified and at no point was there any intentional gunfire carried out by IDF soldiers in a manner intended to harm the journalist.”
Yellow tape marks bullet holes on a tree and a portrait and flowers create a makeshift memorial, at the site where Palestinian-American Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and killed in the West Bank city of Jenin, May 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed, File)
Abu Akleh’s family condemned the Israeli probe as an “attempt to obscure the truth and avoid responsibility” and called for independent investigations by the U.S. and International Criminal Court in the Hague.
“Israel’s killing of our dear Shireen cannot be swept aside,” the family said in a statement released on Twitter. “We will not stop until we have justice.”
The IDF said the investigation included extensive interviews with the soldiers on the ground as well as forensic and ballistic analyses. The probe also took into account information published by foreign media organizations, including video footage and audio files.
“The death of Abu Akleh is a devastating incident,” Kohavi said. “The IDF operates in immensely complex areas at a professional and high-quality level every night, while taking actions to avoid harming non-combatants. The IDF takes great efforts to this end, while working to allow press coverage and the freedom of the press.”
A Palestinian police cadet carries the picture of the journalist Shireen Abu Akleh as he participates in the simulation activity during the graduation ceremony. (Ahmed Zakot/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“The Palestinian terrorists hide and operate from within the Palestinian population, endangering their lives on an ongoing basis,” he continued.
“This is an immense challenge for the IDF, but it is our professional and moral duty to stop and prevent terrorism, as well as achieving our goal – to defend Israeli civilians and the State of Israel.”
Abu Akleh, who was also an American citizen, was killed during a firefight in the West Bank city of Jenin in May. Israeli troops entered a refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin to arrest terror suspects from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group in a raid that came amid a spate of terror attacks that killed 19 Israelis.
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