An Israeli military investigation has found that an Israeli soldier “more than likely accidentally” shot Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during a gun battle in Jenin in May.
Though the occupation military said it was still impossible to determine with certainty who shot the fatal bullet, “there is a high possibility that Shireen was accidentally hit by IDF gunfire that was fired toward suspects identified as armed Palestinian gunmen, during an exchange of fire in which life-risking, widespread and indiscriminate shots were fired toward IDF soldiers,” the Israeli Military Spokesperson’s Unit said Monday.
“Another possibility remains that Abu Akleh was hit by bullets fired by Palestinian militants,” the statement said, as quoted by The Jerusalem Post.
According to a senior Israeli officer who spoke to journalists, there is a “higher probability” that the shot that killed Abu Akleh was fired by an Israeli soldier “accidentally when he was under fire and returned fire where he had recognized armed militants shooting at him.”
He said that the soldier fired a total of 20 bullets throughout the event.
Abu Akleh, who was wearing a press vest and helmet, was struck by a bullet to the head while covering an Israeli raid that saw heavy clashes between occupation forces and Palestinian resistance fighters in the West Bank city of Jenin on May 11th.
Abu Akleh was martyred towards the end of the raid on the outskirts of Burqin near the West Bank city and injured another journalist Ali Sammoudi.
The Zionist entity has been blamed for her death by the Palestinian Authority and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as well as media outlets that have carried out investigative reports.
Source: Israeli media
