State Department says Tests on Origin of Bullet that Killed Al Jazeera Journalist Were Inconclusive, But Was “Likely” Accidental IDF Gunfire

The State Department announced on July 4 that their tests on the bullet that killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh were inconclusive, although they believe it’s likely that it was an accidental killing by the Israelis.

Department spokesperson Ned Price said in the statement that the department used “independent, third-party examiners” to examine the bullet; the examiners “could not reach a definitive conclusion” regarding whether the bullet was fired by Israelis or Palestinians because “the bullet was badly damaged.”

Additionally, Price said the department was given access to the investigations led by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Palestinian Authority (PA) and concluded that it was “likely” the result of IDF gunfire. However, the examiners believe that there it was “the result of tragic circumstances during an IDF-led military operation against factions of Palestinian Islamic Jihad on May 11, 2022 in Jenin, following a series of terrorist attacks in Israel.” Price’s statement concluded that the department “will remain engaged” with both sides on “next steps” and “again offer our deepest condolences to the Abu Akleh family.”

State Dept: Forensic analysis of bullet that killed Shireen Abu Akleh was inconclusive, because the bullet was too damaged, but says it likely came from IDF positions, accidentally. pic.twitter.com/M5bfayECZc

— Lahav Harkov (@LahavHarkov) July 4, 2022

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid similarly said in a statement that an Israeli investigation was also inconclusive as to the origin of the bullet but did definitively find “that there was no intention to harm her.” “Israel expresses sorrow over her death.”

Statement from PM Lapid: pic.twitter.com/RMDGnzqVD1

— Lahav Harkov (@LahavHarkov) July 4, 2022

Tony Abu Akleh, Shireen Abu Akleh’s brother, called the State Department’s conclusion “unacceptable.” “It was obvious that there were 16 bullets fired, all at the same head level, and one I think 1.3m [4.3ft] high, which is targeting the head,” he told the BBC. “Only journalists were hit, two journalists. Shireen unfortunately didn’t make it. [Fellow Palestinian journalist] Ali Samoudi was injured … I would like to know how they come up with that it wasn’t deliberate.”

The PA has also rejected the State Department’s conclusion, saying in a statement that the PA’s investigation found that Israel deliberately murdered Abu Akleh and that they will pursue the matter in the International Criminal Court.

Former IDF spokesperson Oliver Rakowicz told Voice of America that “it was impossible to get the elements of any investigation because one side, the Palestinian side, actually refused to cooperate with the Israeli side. I would like to say we never said it is not us, it is them, like they say it. We said we need to have a full and transparent investigation to get all the elements in order to know what happened.” Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Chairman Ram Ben Barak also posited to Army Radio that the bullet examined by the State Department may have been the wrong bullet simply because it was too damaged to conclusively say if it was or not, although Barak was basing his conjecture on public statements and hadn’t read the State Department’s report on the matter, the Post reported.