Shireen Abu Akleh
Biden administration officials have also requested that Israel publish the conclusions of its report on the death of the “Al Jazeera” journalist.
Relative of ‘Al Jazeera’ journalist killed in Jenin says US will not launch independent probe
Shireen Abu Akleh’s niece met with America’s top diplomat, who reportedly declined to comment on how Washington concluded that the reporter was not shot intentionally on May 11 during clashes between Palestinian terrorists and Israeli forces.
During Biden’s visit to the kingdom, the U.S. president and Saudi Arabia agree on the importance of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“The region is characterized by acute tensions between Iran and its proxies on one hand, and major regional actors on the other. There are numerous conflicts in the region along sectarian and tribal, ethnic, national lines,” said a senior Israel official.
While agreeing that the testing was inconclusive, the U.S. State Department says Israeli forces were “likely responsible” for her accidental death.
Amid rampant propaganda, Jerusalem needs a coherent strategy to convey its positions irrespective of how the Al Jazeera journalist was killed, experts say.
It remains unclear whether Israeli authorities participated in the ballistic analysis tests reportedly conducted in the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem.
Israel maintains that it will be involved in future ballistic analysis tests, whereas Ramallah says it received U.S. guarantees to the contrary.
According to the senators, the Biden administration should have a role in the investigation due to the U.S. government serving as a leader in efforts to protect the press and because of her American citizenship.
The Israeli mission in Geneva responded with its own statement, saying the OHCHR “once again deplorably fails to mention the main obstacle to establishing the truth in this tragic incident: the Palestinian Authority’s refusal to conduct a joint investigation and hand over the bullet. This Palestinian attitude raises doubts.”
The inquiry found “a number of failures” in police handling of the funeral, but also praised decisions by officers on the scene.
Washington is waiting for an “independent, credible investigation” into the circumstances of the death of ‘Al Jazeera’ journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, says U.S. Secretary of State.
