The bullet that killed American-Palestinian reporter Shireen Abu Akleh is too badly damaged to determine who fired the fatal shot, even though it was likely to have been an Israeli soldier, the US State Department said on Monday.
Abu Akleh, a veteran reporter on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was killed while covering an Israeli military raid against Palestinian militants near Jenin in the occupied West Bank on May 11. Palestinian authorities on Sunday said they had handed the bullet recovered during her postmortem to US investigators for analysis.
The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank says Abu Akleh was shot by an Israeli soldier, a claim backed by a UN investigation into the circumstances of her death. However, the PA refused to hand the bullet to Israel and said it would do so only to independent investigators.
Ballistic experts determined the bullet was badly damaged, which prevented a clear conclusion
Ned Price,
US State Department spokesman
State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Monday that "after an extremely detailed forensic analysis, independent, third-party examiners, as part of a process overseen by the US Security Co-ordinator, could not reach a definitive conclusion regarding the origin of the bullet".
"Ballistic experts determined the bullet was badly damaged, which prevented a clear conclusion," he said in a statement.
US security officials examined the results of both Palestinian and Israeli investigations and “concluded that gunfire from [Israeli military] positions was likely responsible for the death of Shireen Abu Akleh".
The US “found no reason to believe that this was intentional but rather the result of tragic circumstances during an [Israeli military]-led military operation,” he said.
Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said forces had responded to heavy fire from gunmen in the city, which houses a crowded refugee camp that has seen regular clashes between Palestinians and Israeli troops.
"The first to bear responsibility in such events, are the terrorists who operate from within population centers," he said in a statement.
That version of events has been rejected by Palestinians who say there were no armed fighters in the area where Abu Akleh was killed.
"The truth is that the Israeli military killed Shireen according to policies that view all Palestinians — civilian, press or otherwise — as legitimate targets," her family said in a statement.
"The focus on the bullet has always been misplaced and was an attempt by the Israeli side to spin the narrative in its favour."
A senior Palestinian official accused the US of protecting Israel after Mr Price announced the findings.
"The truth is clear but the US administration continues to stall in announcing it," Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, told Reuters.
"We say Israel killed Shireen Abu Akleh and it has to be held responsible for the crime it has committed."
Abu Akleh's family said: "All available evidence suggests that a US citizen was the subject of an extrajudicial killing by a foreign government that receives billions of dollars in American military aid each year to perpetuate a prolonged and entrenched military occupation of millions of Palestinians."
The Israeli military said it would continue its investigation into the reporter's death.
A decision on whether to launch a criminal investigation will be made after the conclusion of its operational analysis, it said in a statement on Monday.
The military said the bullet was handed over to the US Security Co-ordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority on Saturday and tested by Israeli experts in the presence of USCC representatives at a forensic laboratory in Israel.
"The bullet remained under the custodianship of [US Army] Lt Gen Michael R Fenzel after receiving it from the Palestinian authorities until it was returned yesterday after the examination was conducted," the statement said.
Shireen Abu Akleh's memorial service - in pictures
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LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
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Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
The biog
Name: Atheja Ali Busaibah
Date of birth: 15 November, 1951
Favourite books: Ihsan Abdel Quddous books, such as “The Sun will Never Set”
Hobbies: Reading and writing poetry
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
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Tour de France 2017: Stage 5
Vittel - La Planche de Belles Filles, 160.5km
It is a shorter stage, but one that will lead to a brutal uphill finish. This is the third visit in six editions since it was introduced to the race in 2012. Reigning champion Chris Froome won that race.
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
Arrogate's winning run
1. Maiden Special Weight, Santa Anita Park, June 5, 2016
2. Allowance Optional Claiming, Santa Anita Park, June 24, 2016
3. Allowance Optional Claiming, Del Mar, August 4, 2016
4. Travers Stakes, Saratoga, August 27, 2016
5. Breeders' Cup Classic, Santa Anita Park, November 5, 2016
6. Pegasus World Cup, Gulfstream Park, January 28, 2017
7. Dubai World Cup, Meydan Racecourse, March 25, 2017
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
