Jerusalem
CNN
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Israel Defense Forces admits for the first time that there is a “high probability” of Palestinian-American journalist Al Jazeera Shireen Abu Akleh The IDF announced Monday.
“[I]The source of the gunfire that hit and killed Ms. Abu Akleh does not appear to be clearly identified. However, there is a high probability that Ms. Abu Akleh was accidentally hit by an IDF gun fired at suspects identified as armed Palestinian gunmen during a gun exchange,” the IDF said in a statement. An announcement.
But the Israeli military has no intention of prosecuting or prosecuting any of the soldiers involved, the IDF’s Office of Military Advocates said Monday in a separate statement.
“After a thorough examination of the incident, and based on all the results presented, the Army General has determined that in the circumstances of the incident, despite the dire outcome – the death of Ms. Abu Akleh and Mr. Samudi’s wound – had. There is no suspicion of an offense that warrants the opening of the MPCID investigation,” the statement said.
“The decision was based on the findings of the review, which determined that IDF troops only targeted those identified as armed terrorists in the incident. Therefore, there is no doubt that a bullet was intentionally fired at anyone identified as a civilian and in particular at anyone identified as a journalist,” the statement said.
A senior IDF official who briefed journalists on the results of the military’s investigation before their release said the IDF troops were unaware they were firing at the press, and said Abu Akleh’s back was “could” be turned to soldiers as a contributing factor. In images from the scene of the shooting, Abu Akleh is wearing a protective vest labeled “PRESS” on both the front and back.
“When they opened fire in that direction, the soldiers had no idea they were shooting at journalists. They thought they were shooting at the fighters who were shooting at them,” said the IDF official.
A CNN investigation in May Unearthed evidence – including two videos of the shooting scene – shows that there was no active fighting, nor any Palestinian militants, near Abu Akleh in the moments leading up to his death Teacher. Footage obtained by CNN, corroborated by testimony from eight witnesses, an acoustic forensics analyst and an explosives weapons expert, shows that Israeli forces deliberately targeted Abu Akleh.
Al Jazeera, Abu Akleh’s owner, has always insisted that the Israeli military is responsible for her death.
When asked about investigations, including CNN, that found no militants near Abu Akleh when she was killed, the official said: “According to our estimates, there were fighters near Abu Abkleh. . Maybe not a meter next to her but they were in that area,” but the official did not provide evidence to support that claim.
“When the soldier made that decision, it was a snap decision,” the official said. “The soldier had no intention of injuring an Al Jazeera journalist or [journalist] from any other network. ”
“The soldier is very sorry, and I am very 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.
When she was killed, Abu Akleh was accompanied by a group of other journalists, including her producer Ali al-Samoudi, who was injured in the incident.
During a Monday press conference with reporters, the senior IDF official said the bullet that killed Abu Akleh was so damaged that it was impossible to determine which gun fired it.
However, the IDF concluded that the soldier capable of firing 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 thought he was a journalist. We’re shooting at the warriors.
The official said soldiers in the area were shot “for an hour and fifteen minutes” before Abu Akleh was killed.
When asked why the gunfire continued even after Abu Akleh fell, the official said they counted no more than seven bullets fired after she was shot. The official said there were Israeli drones filming during the operation, but not at high enough resolution to be able to see the deadly footage.
In the early aftermath of Abu Akleh’s death, Israeli officials first suggested it was likely an indiscriminate shooting by Palestinian militiamen that killed her, before conceding that it was possible the gunshots were fired. of Israel was the cause of 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 her presence”.
According to the results of the Palestinian autopsy, Abu Akleh was killed by a bullet to the back of the head.
Shireen Abu Akleh’s family has denied the IDF investigation, saying Israel has “refused to take responsibility for Shireen’s murder,” and called for an independent US investigation.
The report “tried to conceal the truth and shirk responsibility for the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, our aunt, sister, best friend, journalist and a Palestinian-American,” the family said in a statement. statement sent to CNN.
“We have known for more than four months now that an Israeli soldier shot and killed Shireen during countless investigations conducted by CNN, Associated Press, New York Times, Al Jazeera, Al-Haq, B’tselem, United Nations United Nations, and others have all concluded,” the statement said.
“However, as expected, Israel has refused to accept responsibility for Shireen’s murder. Our family is not surprised by this outcome as it is clear to anyone that Israeli war criminals cannot investigate their own crimes. However, we are still deeply hurt, disappointed and frustrated. ”
“Since Shireen was killed, our family has been calling for a complete, independent, and credible US investigation that leads to accountability, which is the bare minimum the US government should do. to one of their citizens. We will continue to demand that the US government live up to its stated commitments to accountability. Accountability requires action.
In July United States found that Israeli military gunfire was “likely responsible” for the killing of Abu Akleh, although a US-supervised examination of the bullet “could not draw an exact conclusion” as to its origin. due to the condition of the bullet.
The US Security Coordinator – who leads an interagency team working with the Israeli government and the PA – “has found no reason to believe that this was intentional but the result of tragic circumstances in the United States.” an IDF-led military operation against Palestinian factions. Islamic Jihad on May 11, 2022, in Jenin, following a series of terrorist attacks in Israel,” according to a statement at the time from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The IDF has been carrying out regular raids on the West Coast, particularly in the Jenin area, targeting what it considers to be militias and weapons depots. The raid in Jenin when Abu Akleh was killed came shortly after a wave of months-long Palestinian attacks that left 19 Israelis and foreigners dead. According to the Israeli military, some of the suspected attackers are from Jenin.
