Israel: ” The source of the fire that killed the Palestinian journalist has not been determined ”

LAST UPDATE: 17:33

The Israeli military said today that it was not possible to determine the origin of the shooting that killed Palestinian journalist Sirin Abu Akleh, who was also a US citizen, during an Israeli raid on the West Bank, according to preliminary results. .

An Al Jazeera reporter was covering an Israeli military operation in the northern West Bank camp of Jenin on Wednesday when she was shot in the head. He was wearing a bulletproof vest bearing the inscription “Press” and a journalistic helmet.

“The conclusion of the preliminary report is that it is not possible to determine the source of the shot that hit and killed the journalist” in the Jenin refugee camp, the military said in a statement.

“The investigation shows that there are two possibilities for the origin of the shot that killed her,” according to the military.

The first is “a shot fired by Palestinian gunmen (in the direction of the Israeli army), while hundreds of bullets were fired from various directions,” the source said.

“The other option is that during the exchange of fire, one of the (Israeli) soldiers fired several bullets from a jeep with the aid of a telescopic sight at a terrorist who was shooting at his vehicle,” the army said. a journalist close to the terrorist (…) was hit “.

On Wednesday, Israel, after saying that the journalist had “possibly” succumbed to Palestinian fire, said it did not rule out the possibility that the bullet had been fired by its soldiers.

The Israeli military said it was continuing to investigate by any means available but expressed a lack of critical evidence to determine the origin of the fire.

Israeli authorities are demanding that the bullet that caused the journalist’s death be handed over to them in order to conduct a ballistic investigation. The Jewish state suggested that Palestinian and American experts be present at the hearing.

“Receiving the bullet for professional ballistic examination could clarify the situation between these two options,” the military said.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday that he made the Israeli authorities “fully responsible” for the journalist’s death, refusing to conduct a joint investigation with Israel.

“The Israeli authorities have committed the crime and we do not trust them,” he said.

A first autopsy was performed in the West Bank shortly after the journalist’s death, but no results have been released.

Scenes of violence as the coffin of a Palestinian journalist leaves the hospital

Clashes erupted near the San Josef hospital in Jerusalem as the coffin of journalist Sirin Abu Akleh’s body was unearthed as Israeli police dispersed a crowd holding Palestinian flags, according to AFP.

Footage broadcast by Palestine TV shows the coffin of the Al Jazeera journalist, who was killed last Wednesday during an Israeli raid in the West Bank, in danger of falling to the ground while Israeli police disperse the crowd. Agence France-Presse reporters saw Israeli forces storm the hospital grounds in occupied and annexed East Jerusalem.

An Israeli soldier succumbed to his injuries

An Israeli soldier who was wounded in an army raid near the Palestinian city of Jenin in the north of the occupied West Bank has succumbed to his injuries, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has announced.

“Today we have lost a true hero, a brave warrior (…) who risked his life for the security of Israel,” during an “anti-terrorist” operation near Jenin, the prime minister said in a statement.

The area has been the scene of clashes in recent days, with Palestinian journalist Sirin Abu Akleh killed on Wednesday.