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An Israeli security official announced on Monday that there is a “greater possibility” that Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot by mistake by an Israeli soldier who did not identify her as a journalist.
After some four months, Jerusalem released the findings of its long-awaited investigation into the death of Abu Akleh.
According to the senior official, the IDF’s Duvdevan Unit entered the West Bank town of Jenin on May 11 to conduct two arrests of terrorists. During the entire operation, Israeli soldiers were under fire from every direction, including from Molotov cocktails hurled at close range.
After pinpointing every spot where soldiers had come under fire, the probe found that they had operated in strict accordance with the IDF’s strict rules of engagement. Soldiers acted accordingly during the protracted firefight.
Despite reports to the contrary, the investigation found that no IDF soldier had intentionally directed fire at Abu Akleh or any other non-involved personnel on the ground.
Also, the probe located the precise area where fire had been directed at the Al Jazeera journalist. IDF soldiers were in this confined area, as well as terrorists.
The results of the probe were forwarded to the Military Advocate General. After the MAG Corps. analyzed the findings, the decision was reached that there is no suspicion of a criminal act having been perpetrated.
As such, MAG Corps. chose to not open a criminal investigation.
תיעוד מפעילות כוחות צה”ל מג’נין לפנות בוקר: pic.twitter.com/fgSLM8d2n2
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 11, 2022
In response to a question claiming that Abu Akleh had been shot at a well-known meeting place for journalists, the security official responded that, in fact, the tragic incident took place 200 meters from this location. Also, due to the heavy incoming fire, soldiers weren’t able to see the area where the media was located.
Moreover, the senior security official surmised that there were terrorists in Abu Akleh’s vicinity at the time of the shooting.
The publication of the IDF’s findings followed reported pressure from the White House and after the visit of Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf to Israel over the weekend.
A July 4 statement issued by the State Department concluded that Israeli forces likely fired the shot that killed Abu Akleh, but that there was no indication Israelis intentionally shot the veteran Al Jazeera correspondent.
The Palestinian side announced in late May that its investigation showed the journalist was shot by an Israeli soldier in a “deliberate murder.”
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Palestinian gunmen fired at a bus carrying Israeli soldiers on a major highway in the Jordan Valley on Sunday, injuring seven people, the military and medics said.
One seriously wounded soldier and the bus driver, listed in moderate condition, were taken by helicopter to Rambam Hospital in Haifa.
Two suspected gunmen were arrested shortly after the attack by Israeli soldiers and police officers. Several firearms were found at the scene. The pair were taken to be questioned by the Shin Bet security agency.
A third suspect apparently fled, according to local media reports. The IDF is currently searching for additional members of the terrorist cell.
On Sunday night, four Israeli soldiers were lightly wounded after Palestinians threw an explosive device at a military outpost in the West Bank.
Tensions have escalated in the West Bank recently, with Israeli security forces stepping up arrest raids and operations following a deadly wave of terror attacks that left 19 people dead earlier this year.
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Five Palestinians were executed in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Sunday morning. Two had been found guilty of collaboration with Israel and three had been convicted of murder.
A statement published by the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Interior said that two men were executed by firing squad and three by hanging. The statement did not identify the men by name.
The ministry said that two convicted spies, aged 44 and 54, assisted Israel by giving them information that resulted in the deaths of two Palestinians. This information could not be independently confirmed.
The dawn executions were the first in Palestinian territories since 2017.
The Gaza-based Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights said that since the beginning of this year, 15 Palestinians have been sentenced to death by Hamas.
“Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights condemns the continuous issuance of death sentences in the Gaza Strip and reiterates its strongest criticism of the use of this practice, which constitutes a form of inhuman punishment contrary to international legal standards,” the group said in a statement, adding: “Also, this punishment violates Palestinian obligations under international human rights law.”
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Israel is carrying out an “intensive campaign” to prevent the revival of the “dangerous” nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, Prime Minister Yair Lapid told the weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday.
Lapid said the government was “hard at work” on the campaign, citing Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Alternate Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who is responsible for the Iran portfolio.
Mossad Director David Barnea will head for Washington, DC, on Monday for a series of meetings to express Israel’s position to the Biden Administration about the dangers of a new Iran Deal, the prime minister added.
Lapid also referred to his telephone call with US President Joe Biden on Aug. 31, in which he addressed Israel’s concerns.
The United States last week received Tehran’s response to comments it had sent on Aug. 24 regarding a “final” EU draft of a nuclear accord.
President Isaac Herzog, while attending the 50th anniversary commemoration ceremony in Berlin for the Israeli athletes murdered at the 1972 Munich Olympics, expressed deep concern about the emerging Iran nuclear deal.
“Iran is openly striving for Israel’s destruction, and the international community must treat it severely, firmly and assertively,” Herzog said, adding: “Toothless and watered-down accords and sweeping benefits will not stop Iran.”
Recommended Reading
- For Iran, It’s All About Breakout Time (Ariel Kahana, Israel Hayom)
- What Other Secrets Are Hidden in the Qumran Caves? (Gary Schiff, Jewish News Syndicate)
- Back to School With Healthier Air Thanks to Israeli Device (Abigail Klein Leichman, Israel21C)
- Over 4 Million Israelis to Fly Abroad During Jewish Holidays (i24NEWS)
- Ken Burns’ PBS Documentary ‘The US And the Holocaust’ Asks Hard Questions About How Americans Treated Jews and Immigrants During Wartime (Andrew Lapin, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Featured Image: AP Photo/Adel Hana
