“[I]It appears that it is not possible to unequivocally establish the source of the gunfire that struck and killed Ms. Abu Akleh. However, there is a good chance that Mrs. Abu Akleh was accidentally hit by IDF gunfire on suspects identified as armed Palestinian gunmen during a firefight,” the IDF said in a statement.
But the Israeli military does not intend to pursue criminal charges or pursue any of the soldiers involved, the IDF military attorney general said in a separate statement on Monday.
“After an extensive investigation of the incident and based on all the findings presented, the Military Solicitor General has determined that under the circumstances of the incident, despite the dire outcome – the death of Ms Abu Akleh and the injury of Mr Samudi – there was no suspicion of a criminal offense justifying the opening of an MPCID investigation,” the statement said. Abu Akleh’s producer Ali al-Samoudi was injured in the incident.
“The decision was based on the findings of the investigation, which determined that IDF soldiers fired only at those identified as armed terrorists during the incident. As such, there was no suspicion that a bullet was deliberately fired at someone who was identified as a citizen and in particular against anyone identified as a journalist,” the statement said.
A senior IDF official who briefed journalists on the findings of the army’s investigation before they were released said IDF forces were unaware they were firing at the press, and said Abu Akleh’s back was “probably” facing the soldiers. was turned was a disgrace. contributing factor. In footage of the shooting scene, Abu Akleh is wearing a protective vest with the inscription “PRESS” on both the front and back.
“When they fired in that direction, the soldiers didn’t know they were firing at journalists. They thought they were firing at militants who were firing at them,” the IDF official said.
Al Jazeera, Abu Akleh’s employer, has consistently claimed that the Israeli military is responsible for her death. The network condemned the IDF investigation, saying the delay of more than 100 days since the shooting is “intended to avoid criminal responsibility it bears for the murder of Shireen Abu Akleh.”
“Al Jazeera denounces the lack of candid acknowledgment of his crime by the Israeli occupation army. The network calls for an independent international party to investigate the crime of the murder of Shireen Abu Akleh, to bring justice for Shireen, her family and colleague journalists around the world,” the network said in a statement.
When asked about investigations, including DailyExpertNews’s, that found no militants near Abu Akleh when she was shot, the IDF official said: “In our estimation, there were militants near Ms. Abu Abkleh. Maybe not. a meter away from her, but they were in that area”, but the official provided no evidence to support that claim
“When the soldier made that decision, it was a flash of a decision,” the official said. “The soldier had no intention of injuring an Al Jazeera journalist or… [journalist] from another network.”
“I’m sorry the soldier and I’m sorry. This shouldn’t have happened and it shouldn’t have happened. He didn’t do this on purpose,” the official said. He did not name the soldier.
In Monday’s briefing with reporters, the senior IDF official said the bullet that killed Abu Akleh was too badly damaged to identify which weapon it was fired from, a US-led forensics investigation came to the same conclusion.
However, the IDF has concluded that the soldier who likely fired the fatal shot was south of Abu Akleh in an armored military vehicle with limited visibility, did not identify Abu Akleh as a journalist and believed he was shooting at militants.
The official said soldiers in the area were under fire for “an hour and fifteen minutes” before Abu Akleh was killed.
When asked why the gunfire seemed to continue even after Abu Akleh fell, the official said they counted no more than seven bullets fired after she was shot. Israeli drones were filming the operation, the official said, but not at a high enough resolution to see the deadly shot.
In the initial aftermath of Abu Akleh’s death, Israeli officials first argued that it was likely random Palestinian militant gunfire that killed her, before acknowledging that it was possible Israeli gunfire was responsible for her death.
In their report on Monday, the IDF left open the possibility that Abu Akleh “was hit by bullets fired by armed Palestinian gunmen in the direction of the area where she was present.”
According to the Palestinian autopsy, Abu Akleh was killed by a single bullet to the back of the head.
The report “tried to cover up the truth and avoid responsibility for the murder of Shireen Abu Akleh, our aunt, sister, best friend, journalist and a Palestinian American,” the family said in a statement to DailyExpertNews.
“We have known for over 4 months now that an Israeli soldier shot and killed Shireen, as numerous investigations conducted by DailyExpertNews, the Associated Press, the DailyExpertNews, Al Jazeera, Al-Haq, B’tselem, the United Nations and others have all concluded,” the statement said.
“And yet, as expected, Israel has refused to take responsibility for Shireen’s murder. Our family is not surprised by this outcome, as it is clear to everyone that Israeli war criminals cannot investigate their own crimes. However, we remain deeply hurt , frustrated and disappointed.”
“Since Shireen was assassinated, our family has called for a thorough, independent and credible US investigation leading to accountability, which is the bare minimum the US government should do for any of their own citizens. We will continue to demand that the US government to continue with its stated commitments to accountability. Accountability requires action.”
In a statement Monday, State Department spokesman Ned Price welcomed the IDF assessment and emphasized “the importance of accountability in this case, such as policies and procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future.”
“Our thoughts remain with the Abu Akleh family as they mourn this tremendous loss — and with the many others around the world who have brought Shireen and her news stories into their homes over two decades,” said Price. “Not only was Shireen a US citizen, she was a fearless reporter whose journalism and pursuit of the truth earned her the respect of the public around the world.”
The US security coordinator — who leads a multi-agency team that coordinates with the Israeli government and the PA — “found no reason to believe this was intentional, but rather the result of tragic circumstances during an IDF-led military operation against factions. of Palestinian Islamic Jihad on May 11, 2022 in Jenin, following a series of terrorist attacks in Israel,” a statement from the foreign ministry said at the time.
The IDF has conducted regular raids on the West Bank, especially in the Jenin area, targeting militants and weapons depots. The raid on Jenin, when Abu Akleh was killed, came shortly after a months-long wave of attacks by Palestinians that killed 19 Israelis and foreigners. According to the Israeli military, some of the suspected attackers of those attacks came from Jenin.
Report contributed by Jennifer Hansler of DailyExpertNews in Washington.