Israel refuses to cooperate with FBI probe into journalist’s death — RT World News
US probe into Al Jazeera’s Shireen Abu Akleh murder a ‘serious mistake’, says Israeli defense minister
Israel has conducted its own investigation into the death of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and will not cooperate with the FBI’s investigation into the incident, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz tweeted Monday.
The media claimed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had launched an investigation into the murder of an American-Palestinian media worker, who was shot dead while covering an Israeli raid in the West Bank city of Jenin. busy in mid-May. US officials briefed their Israeli counterparts on the move earlier this month, sources told The Times of Israel newspaper.
“The decision by the US Department of Justice to conduct an investigation into the tragic death of Shireen Abu Akleh is wrong,” he added. Gantz wrote on Twitter in English. The Hebrew version of the message was phrased in harsher terms, labeling US actions « a serious mistake ».
He said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had already carried out « a professional and independent investigation » in the death of the Al Jazeera journalist, and his findings were presented in Washington.
“I have made it clear to US representatives that we support IDF soldiers, that we will not cooperate with an external investigation and that we will not allow interference in internal investigations,” he added. Gantz insisted.
An Israeli investigation has established that Abu Akleh, who was shot while wearing a vest marked « Hurry » and a blue helmet, was probably hit by a bullet fired in error by an Israeli soldier. Nor did it rule out the possibility that the 51-year-old came under Palestinian fire.
However, Palestinian officials and Abu Akleh’s family, as well as Al Jazeera, insist the famed journalist, who has covered the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for two decades, was deliberately targeted by the IDF.
Abu Akleh’s death has sparked anger and protests in the Middle East and elsewhere, with tensions rising further after Israeli police used force to disperse mourners at his funeral.
rt
