He is “highly probable” that Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by an Israeli soldier last May, the Israeli army has admitted for the first time since the start of the case.
According to the conclusions of the Tsahal investigation made public on Monday, September 5, the Al-Jazeera reporter, whose death had aroused great international emotion, “probably shot by mistake by an Israeli soldier” who mistakenly took the journalist for an armed Palestinian, sums up the Israeli daily Ha’Aretz.
The star reporter for the pan-Arab channel Al-Jazeera was shot dead on May 11 while following an Israeli military operation in the Palestinian camp of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, which had degenerated into clashes with armed Palestinian elements.
“More than likely”
Although she maintains that she “can’t rule out the possibility” that Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by Palestinian gunfire, the Israeli army therefore admits “that it is more likely that an Israeli soldier is responsible”, Explain Ha’Aretz.
Until now, Israel had rejected all responsibility, despite various journalistic investigations and recent American investigations concluding that Israeli fire was undeliberate.
If the Israeli army recognizes a certain responsibility, it is not of an individual order. As the Israeli daily notes, the Israeli army’s attorney general’s office announced that the latter would not open an investigation into the soldiers involved, because “there is no suspicion that a criminal offense has been committed”.