Test results of the bullet that killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin in May were inconclusive, the U.S. State Department announced on Monday, The Jerusalem Post reported.
"After an extremely detailed forensic analysis, independent, third-party examiners, as part of a process overseen by the US Security Coordinator (USSC) could not reach a definitive conclusion regarding the origin of the bullet that killed Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh," the State Department statement read. "Ballistics determined that the bullet was badly damaged, which prevented a clear conclusion."
However, the U.S. said that after examining additional information and reviewing the probes carried out by the IDF and the Palestinian Authority, it was "likely" that Abu Akleh was killed by gunfire originating in Israeli positions.
The State Department stressed that "in addition to the forensic and ballistic analysis, the USSC was granted full access to both Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Palestinian Authority (PA) investigations over the last several weeks.
"By summarizing both investigations the USSC concluded that gunfire from IDF positions was likely responsible for the death of Shireen Abu Akleh. The USSC found no reason to believe that this was intentional but rather the result of tragic circumstances during an IDF-led military operation against factions of Palestinian Islamic Jihad."
The ballistic examination was conducted by Israeli experts in a forensic laboratory in Israel, with USSC representatives present during the entire process, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Abu Akleh was killed during an Israeli raid in the Jenin refugee camp in mid-May. During the arrest operation, a firefight broke out between IDF forces and Palestinian gunmen, and Abu Akleh was shot in the head, The Times of Israel reported.
The PA only agreed to transfer the bullet to the US Embassy in Jerusalem for examination on Saturday after it had refused Israel's request for weeks for a joint investigation or for the PA to make the round available so that a proper test could be carried out.
Defense Ministry Benny Gantz expressed condolences for Abu Akleh's death, although he stressed that the responsibility for her killing remained unclear, according to The Times of Israel.
Gantz further emphasized that during the Jenin gun battle "hundreds of bullets were fired at IDF troops, which responded with firepower of their own, only in the direction of the sources of the shooting."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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