Family of Killed Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh Visits Washington, Call For Full Investigation

The family of killed Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh called for the United States to “end Israeli impunity and to conduct a full investigation into her death. The call to hold Israel accountable for the “killings of American citizens by Israeli soldiers” comes two days after family members met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, DC, Al Jazeera reported on Thursday. The Al Jazeera journalist was shot and killed while she was reporting on an Israel Defense Forces arrest raid in Jenin in the West Bank on May 11. The family will hold a news conference at Capitol Hill later on Thursday, expected to be flanked by some members of Congress. The US State Department announced earlier this month that its examination of the bullet that killed Abu Akleh to determine who fired the deadly shot was inconclusive, but that investigations by both the Israel Defense Forces and The Palestinian Authority show that “gunfire from IDF positions was likely responsible for the death of Shireen Abu Akleh.” The State Department also said that it found no reason to believe the killing was intentional, as the family alleges.