Shireen Abu Akleh of Al Jazeera was likely killed by accidental firing from Israeli positions, but independent investigators were unable to determine with certainty where the bullet that struck her came from, according to the U.S. on Monday, the State Department stated.
The circumstances surrounding the death of Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American, on May 11 during an Israeli raid in the town of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, are still hotly contested.
Palestinian authorities criticized the story and insisted she had been picked out on purpose. Israeli denial of this
The death of Abu Akleh, one of the most recognizable faces covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, sparked outrage around the globe, especially after police beat mourners at her funeral in Jerusalem.
According to the State Department, the US Security Coordinator (USSC) came to the conclusion that shooting from Israeli positions was probably what caused her death after summarizing investigations conducted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Palestinian Authority.
"The USSC found no reason to believe that this was intentional but rather the result of tragic circumstances during an IDF-led military operation against factions of Palestinian Islamic Jihad," the State Department said.
Ballistic experts assessed the bullet was severely damaged during forensic examination by independent examiners under the USSC's supervision, which hindered a conclusive determination of its origin, the State Department stated.
Prior to US President Joe Biden's visit next week, the report did nothing to ease tensions between the two sides.
The Palestinian general prosecutor Akram al-Khatib claimed that Abu Akleh had been intentionally targeted and disputed the US assessment that the bullet had suffered significant damage.
"Israel was responsible for killing her and it has to be held accountable," Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said in a statement.
Abu Akleh may have been hit by errant army fire or a bullet from one of the Palestinian gunmen it claims were engaged in combat with its forces at the location, according to Israel, which has denied that any of its soldiers killed her on purpose.
The United Nations human rights office stated last month that information it had gleaned from the incident revealed that Abu Akleh had been murdered by Israeli military fire and not by Palestinians.
It stated that when she was hit and murdered by a single bullet, she had been standing with other reporters and was easily recognized as a journalist thanks to her helmet and blue flak jacket tagged with a press badge. Another round was fired during the incident, striking a coworker.
"The truth is that the Israeli military killed Shireen according to policies that view all Palestinians - civilian, press or otherwise - as legitimate targets," her family said in a statement.
