Israel will test a bullet to determine whether one of its soldiers shot and killed Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Aqla with a US observer expected to deliver the results within hours:
A Palestinian Police officer carries the picture of journalist Shireen Abu Aqla during a graduation ceremony for officers in Khan Yunis city, in the southern Gaza Strip, on 30 June 2022.Israel said on Sunday it would test a bullet that killed a Palestinian-American journalist to determine whether one of its soldiers shot her and said a US observer would be present for the procedure that could deliver results within hours.
The 11 May death of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Aqla during an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank, and feuding between the sides as to the circumstances, have overshadowed a visit by US President Joe Biden due this month.The Palestinians accuse the Israeli military of killing her deliberately. Israel denies this, saying Ms Abu Aqla may have been hit by errant army fire or by one of the Palestinian gunmen who were clashing with its forces.
"In the coming days or hours it will be become clear whether it was even us who killed her, accidentally, or whether it was the Palestinian gunmen," he told Army Radio. "If we killed her, we will take responsibility and feel regret for what happened." "We got guarantees from the American coordinator that the examination will be conducted by them and that the Israeli side will not take part,” Al-Khatib told Voice of Palestine radio, adding that he expected the bullet to be returned on Sunday. An embassy spokesperson said: "We don't have anything new at this time."