- Israel says it will not work with US officials investigating death of reporter Shireen Abu Aqla.
- She was shot dead during an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank in May.
- The IDF said that one of their soldiers probably killed her, but that it was an accident.
Israel has said that it was a “mistake” for the US Department of Justice to decide to look into the death of Palestinian-American reporter Shireen Abu Aqla.
Benny Gantz, who is leaving his job as Defense Minister, said that he had told US officials that Israel would not work with them.
The Department of Justice and the FBI didn’t want to say anything, but Abu Aqla’s family said that it was a “important step toward accountability.”
During an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank in May, the Al Jazeera reporter was shot in the head.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that one of their soldiers probably killed her, but that it was an accident and there would be no criminal investigation.
Shireen Abu Aqla, who was 51 years old, went to the Jenin refugee camp on May 11 to report on an Israeli army raid where soldiers and Palestinian militants were fighting with guns.
She was walking along a road with other journalists when she was killed. She was wearing a helmet and a blue flak jacket with the word “press” on it. One of the other journalists was also shot and hurt.
Journalists, bystanders, and Palestinian officials said the gunfire came from Israeli troops stationed about 200 metres (656 feet) away. Later, investigations by the UN Human Rights Office and a number of media organisations confirmed these claims.
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