Israeli gunfire killed journalist Shireen Abu Akleh: US
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Washington: After tests conducted by ballistic experts, United States officials confirmed that the bullet that killed Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was fired by Israeli troops, Associated Press reported.
But the United States State Department also said that they are not implying that Shireen was shot with intention.
The conclusion was made after inconclusive tests by independent ballistics experts under US oversight of the bullet fragment recovered from Abu Akleh's body, according to officials.
Days ago, Israel had said that it would test the bullet that killed the Al Jazeera reporter. It was alleged that an Israeli soldier killed the Palestinian-American journalist.
The Palestinians handed over the bullet to a US security coordinator yesterday. They claimed to have received assurance that Israel would not participate in the ballistics, reported Reuters.
Israeli military spokesman Brigadier-General Ran Kochav said the ballistic test would not be American but Israeli, with an American presence throughout. "In the coming days or hours, it will become clear whether it was even us who killed her. If we killed her, we will take responsibility and feel regret for what happened".
Akram al-Khatib, the general prosecutor for the Palestinian Authority, said the test would take place at the US Embassy in Jerusalem. He said on Voice of Palestine radio that the bullet is expected to be returned on Sunday.
Israeli Deputy Internal Security Minister Yoav Segalovitz said it would take a few days to conduct a ballistic test with several experts to ensure that there is an unequivocal assessment.
A US embassy spokesperson said: "We don't have anything new at this time".
A leading journalist in the Arab world Abu Akleh worked for the Arabic-language news channel for 25 years before being killed on May 11. She was known for reporting in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.
After her death at the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, Israel alleged that a Palestinian might have killed her. On May 13, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the journalist might have been killed by either IDF or Palestinian fire.
On June 24, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) concluded that it was an IDF bullet that killed Abu Akleh. The Palestinian Authority (PA) claimed that she was deliberately killed while trying to flee.
During her funeral, the Israeli Police attacked people carrying her coffin with batons. The video of the incident went viral on social media, and many condemned the action.
