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Israeli report whitewashes Abu Akleh's killing, little hope for US intervention

The Israeli army investigation into the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh stirred outrage among her family and rights organizations.
A man walks past a mural depicting slain Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, on a street in the Arab town of Umm Al-Fahm in northern Israel, on Sept. 5, 2022.

After months of soft pressure from Washington, the Israeli army finally released the results of its own investigation into the circumstances around the killing of American-Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on May 11. But while the Israelis are moving closer and closer to hinting at some culpability — saying it was "likely" that the bullet that killed the journalist came from an Israeli soldier — the motive behind the shooting was whitewashed.

The Israeli military said that while it is "not possible to unequivocally determine the source of the gunfire" that killed Abu Akleh, "there is a high possibility" she was "accidentally hit" by IDF fire. Israel stopped short of taking responsibility and will not proceed with a criminal investigation.

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