An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) investigation into the death of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh has reached the conclusion of a “high possibility” that the journalist was accidentally killed by IDF gunfire.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price issued a press release on Sept. 5 regarding the IDF’s findings.
“Today, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that it had concluded its investigation into the circumstances surrounding Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh’s death and stated there is a high possibility that Ms. Abu Akleh was accidentally hit by IDF gunfire,” Price said in the release. “We welcome Israel’s review of this tragic incident, and again underscore the importance of accountability in this case, such as policies and procedures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.”
The IDF stated that no one would be punished for the shooting despite the findings of their investigation, a Sept. 5 AP News report said. A senior Israeli military official said Abu Akleh was accidentally shot by an Israeli soldier who was inside an armored vehicle, noting that the soldier misidentified Abu Akleh as a militant.
But it is unclear how that was the case as the journalist was wearing a helmet and vest clearly marked “press,” the AP report said. When asked about this detail, the military official commented that the soldier's vision was “very limited.”
Despite a conclusion being reached by the IDF and supported by the Department of State; Abu Akleh's family, the Palestinian National Authority and news outlet Al Jazeera all believe Abu Akleh's death was intentional.
Al Jazeera's local bureau chief Walid Al-Omari noted that the IDF report was “clearly an attempt to circumvent the opening of a criminal investigation,” the AP report said. The Committee to Protect Journalists called Israel's findings “late and incomplete.”
