The Israel Defense Forces on Monday released the findings of its investigation into the death of Shireen Abu Akleh, a veteran Palestinian-American journalist for Al Jazeera. The investigation found that “it is not possible to determine unequivocally by whom Shireen Abu-Akleh was killed, but it is more likely that she was accidentally hit by IDF fire, which was shot at those identified as Palestinian militants, during a battle at which time IDF soldiers came under massive, indiscriminate and life-threatening fire. … The fire of IDF soldiers was intended to hit the terrorists who shot at our forces.”
Abu Akleh was shot and killed while she was reporting on an Israel Defense Forces arrest raid in Jenin in the West Bank on May 11.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi accepted the findings of the investigation, noting that the investigative team “turned over every stone in order to arrive at the truth,” according to an IDF statement.
The IDF will not open a criminal investigation into the case since the Military Advocate General has determined that there is no suspicion of criminal activity in the case as the investigation determined that the journalist was not targeted by any IDF troops.
The US State Department announced in July that its examination of the bullet that killed Abu Akleh to determine who fired the deadly shot was inconclusive, but that preliminary investigations by both the Israel Defense Forces and The Palestinian Authority show that IDF gunfire was likely responsible. The PA also claims that Israeli troops deliberately shot Abu Akleh. The State Department has said that it found no reason to believe the killing was intentional, as the family alleges.