Israel Says 'High Possibility' its Army Killed Shireen Abu Akleh

Facts

• The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Mon. that there is a “high possibility” that Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and killed by Israeli fire while covering a military operation in Jenin in May.
• In a statement, they said that Abu Akleh was likely accidentally hit by IDF gunfire during a shooting exchange with suspects identified as armed Palestinian gunmen. The statement indicates that no one will be punished for the shooting.
• No evidence was provided to support the claim that a fierce gunbattle was underway at the time that Abu Akleh was killed, however. Videos, as well as witness accounts, have shown no evidence of militants in the vicinity, and the area appeared to be quiet for several minutes before she was shot.
• Since Abu Akleh’s killing, Israel has said that it has sought to conduct a joint investigation with the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, but that the Authority has been uncooperative.
• This is the first time that Israel has acknowledged that Abu Akleh may have been killed by IDF fire. The statement was nevertheless criticized by her family, who have accused the army of evading responsibility for the killing.
• Jenin, the town in which Abu Akleh was killed, has been a focal point of Israeli operations in the West Bank following a number of attacks in Israel by assailants hailing from the town.

Sources: CNN, DW, Associated Press, and FOX News.

Narratives

• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Al Jazeera. There’s no doubt that Israeli forces deliberately killed Abu Akleh. She was hundreds of meters away from any armed clashes, Israeli snipers were present in the area, and several witnesses said that they had fired at her team. Israel continues to avoid accountability, as the international community has failed to apply meaningful pressure to bring her killers to justice.
• Pro-Israel, as provided by FOX News. Though the death of Akleh is tragic, critics of Israel are always quick to jump to conclusions about events in the West Bank. Jenin is a well-known hotbed of terrorist activity. It’s still possible that Akleh might have been caught in the crossfire from Palestinian gunmen. Even if she was killed by a stray Israeli bullet, her death was unintentional.