"It is not possible to determine with certainty who fired Sheerin Abu-Aqla," reads the conclusions report released today (Monday) by the US State Department regarding the death of the Palestinian journalist about two months ago, during an exchange of fire between terrorists and IDF forces.
A statement issued also stated that "it is likely that the bullet was fired from the Israeli side."
IDF Spokesman's Response: On May 11, 2022, IDF forces launched an arrest operation in the Jenin district to thwart and prevent terrorism, during which widespread and uncontrollable fire was fired at an IDF force, along with accurate firing and dumping of explosives that hit military vehicles and fighters.
Towards the end of the operation, journalist Sheerin Abu-Akla was injured.
Since the unfortunate incident, the IDF has been investigating and investigating the circumstances of Abu Akala's death.
To this end, the Chief of Staff appointed a dedicated team that includes experts in various subjects, as part of which, among other things, the event was restored and the area was simulated, in order to simulate as much as possible the conditions that existed during the event.
Sheerin Abu-Akala Funeral: Police clear a road leading to the journalist's coffin // Photo: Police Spokeswoman
An IDF investigation shows that it is not possible to determine whether Abu Akala was killed by Palestinian gunmen who fired at her in an uncontrolled manner or by an IDF fighter by accident.
We emphasize that the investigation unequivocally stated that no deliberate firing was carried out by IDF forces at Abu Akala.
The US Security Coordinator between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (USSC) last Saturday received from the Palestinian Authority the bullet that the Palestinians allegedly hit journalist Sheerin Abu-Akla, in order to conduct a professional and independent ballistic examination.
The bullet was kept, from the moment it was handed over by the Palestinian Authority until it was returned yesterday (Sunday) after the inspection, by General (*) Michael Penzel.
The bullet was subjected to a ballistic test in a forensic laboratory by Israeli professionals, and was attended by professional representatives of the USSC, in order to identify the weapon from which it was fired.
The test was conducted in Israel, and throughout it, representatives from the USSC were present.
Despite the efforts, it was found that in light of the physical condition of the bullet and the quality of the marks on it, there was a real difficulty in performing the identification, and accordingly it was not possible to determine whether or not the bullet was fired from the weapon tested.
In accordance with the findings of the investigation, the Chief of Staff, Major General Aviv Kochavi, instructed to continue to act, to investigate and investigate the incident, using all the tools at our disposal and with a commitment to transparency and revealing the truth.
The decision of the Military Prosecutor's Office regarding the opening of an IDF investigation will be made after the completion of the command investigation.
The IDF will continue to act to thwart terrorism wherever necessary and to fulfill its missions, while striving to avoid harming the uninvolved.
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