untitled design

Israel says it will test bullet that killed reporter; Palestinians disagree

Israel said Sunday it would carry out tests on the bullet that killed a Palestinian-American journalist to determine whether one of its soldiers had shot the professional, and assured that a US observer would be present.

The Palestinians, who delivered the bullet to a US security coordinator on Saturday, said they had been assured that Israel would not participate in the ballistics.

Washington has not yet commented on the fact. The United States is on a long holiday to celebrate the 4th of July.

The death of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh on May 11 during an Israeli strike in the occupied West Bank, and disputes between sides over the fact, have overshadowed a visit by US President Joe Biden, scheduled for this month.

Palestinians argue that the Israeli military deliberately killed Abu Akleh. Israel denies the allegation, saying she may have been hit by mistaken army fire or a bullet from one of the Palestinian gunmen clashing there.

“The (ballistic) test will not be American. The test will be Israeli, with a US presence throughout,” said Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Ran Kochav.

“In the next few days or hours it will become clear whether it was us who accidentally killed her or whether it was the Palestinian gunmen,” he told Army Radio. “If we kill her, we will take responsibility and regret what happened.”

Akram al-Khatib, prosecutor general for the Palestinian Authority, said the test would take place at the US embassy in Jerusalem.

“We have received assurances from the US coordinator that the examination will be carried out by them and that the Israeli side will not participate,” Al-Khatib told Voice of Palestine radio, adding that he expected the bullet to be returned this Sunday.

A spokesperson for the US embassy said: “We have nothing new at this point.”

Source: CNN Brasil

You may also like

Get the latest

Stay Informed: Get the Latest Updates and Insights

 

Most popular