According to a Palestinian authority, an Israeli soldier shot Al Jazeera reporter, Shireen Abu Akleh on purpose
The Palestinian Authority claimed on Thursday that an investigation into the assassination of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh revealed that she was killed deliberately by an Israeli soldier.
Israel vehemently refuted the charge, saying it was still investigating Abu Akleh’s killing, which occurred on May 11 while she was documenting an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.
She may have been shot accidently by an Israeli soldier or by a Palestinian militant in an exchange of fire, according to the Israeli army.
According to Palestinian Attorney General Akram Al-Khatib, the investigation revealed that there were no militants around Abu Akleh when she was hot dead.
“The only source of fire in that place came from the occupation forces with the intention to kill,” Al-Khatib said, referring to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
As the first shots rang out, Abu Akleh, who was wearing a helmet and a press vest that plainly identified her as a journalist, attempted to run with several fellow reporters, according to him. “It’s a war crime,” Al-Khatib declared.
The killing will be reported to the International Criminal Court, according to Qatar’s Al Jazeera TV network (ICC).
Benny Gantz, Israel’s defense minister, has slammed the conclusions drawn.
“Any claim that the IDF intentionally harms journalists or uninvolved civilians, is a blatant lie,” he wrote on Twitter.
He reaffirmed his appeal for Palestinians to assist with Israel in the investigation and send over the bullet for ballistic testing to determine whether it was fired from an Israeli military weapon.
Palestinians claim they do not trust Israel and have refused to participate in a joint investigation.
According to Al-Khatib, the bullet that killed Abu Akleh was a 5.56 mm round fired from an Israeli military-issued Ruger Mini-14 semiautomatic rifle.
M-16 rifles, which are carried by many Palestinian militants, can likewise shoot the same 5.56 calibre. Al-Khatib did not elaborate on how he knew it came from an Israeli gun.
According to Israel, the only way to know if the bullet was fired by one of its soldiers was to examine it and determine if the marks on it matched those on an Israeli gun barrel.
“I’m still pleading with the PA to hand me the bullet and the findings. We are ready and eager to collaborate with foreign players to launch an investigation “On Thursday, Gantz stated.
REUTERS
