Jimu news reporter Song Qingying
The Palestinian-American female journalist Sheryn Abu Al-Aklih, who is a household name in the Arab world, was suddenly shot and killed, but the cause of death was debated. According to CNN, on September 5, local time, the Israel Defense Forces admitted for the first time that Aklih was shot and killed by the Israeli army. Nevertheless, the Israeli army does not intend to bring criminal charges against any of the soldiers involved.
Shirin Abu Aklih
The Israeli army admitted to shooting, but said "did not know it was a journalist"
In May, Aklih was shot in the head while reporting on clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, and died after being taken to hospital.
After Al-Aklih's death, Israel's initial reports said palestinian militants had shot her, but Palestinians and colleagues who were with Al-Aklih at the time testified that she had been killed by Israeli soldiers.
Aklich was shot and fell to the ground
The truth of the shooting has attracted widespread attention from the international community, and in July this year, the United States also intervened in the investigation, but the State Department said that the investigation could not determine which party fired the gun.
On September 5, the Office of the IDF Judge General said that It is very likely that Aklih was mistaken by the IDF for Palestinian militants and then shot.
A senior IDF official said Israeli soldiers did not know they were targeting journalists and said Aklih turning his back to the soldiers could have led to the shooting.
However, eight witnesses, an audio forensic analyst and an explosive weapons expert confirmed that the Israeli army had deliberately targeted Aklih. From the photos of the shooting scene, Aklih was wearing a protective vest with the words "PRESS" on both the front and back.
The Israeli army does not intend to prosecute any soldiers
The Israeli military statement said it did not intend to prosecute any of the soldiers involved, "The decision is based on the results of a review that determined that Israeli soldiers only opened fire on people identified as armed terrorists and not deliberately shot at civilians, especially journalists." ”
Israeli officials first said the bullet that killed Mr. Aklih was badly damaged and it was impossible to determine which gun fired.
The official later said that before Mr. Aklih was killed, Israeli soldiers in the area had been attacked for "one hour and fifteen minutes." The soldier who fired the gun was probably on an armored military vehicle south of Aklih with limited line of sight, thinking they were shooting at the militants.
But according to eyewitnesses, there was no active fighting nearby and no Palestinian militants before Mr. Aklih's death.
Spanish women hold aloft portraits of Aklih
Al-Aklih's death caused shock and outrage in the international community, and Al-Aklih's employer, Al Jazeera, insisted that the Israeli military was responsible for her death and condemned the Israeli military for delaying the investigation by more than 100 days in order to evade criminal responsibility for its killing.
After the IDF findings were made public, Aklih's family expressed their lagriev and went on to call on the United States to conduct an independent investigation, "This is the minimum thing the U.S. government should do for their citizens, and accountability requires action." ”
(Image source: CNN)
(Source: Jimu News)
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