Al Jazeera journalist was about 150 meters away from Israeli forces when shot: Israel

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - Veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed while covering an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank, was not reportedly shot from close range, as she was "about 150 meters (492 feet) away from Israeli military forces” at the time, Israeli authorities said Wednesday.

Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, referring to an initial investigation conducted by the Israel Defense Forces, claimed that it was "still unclear" whether Akleh, 51, was killed by Israeli forces or Palestinian "gunmen."

It alleged that the investigation shows that the Israeli soldiers fired "a few dozen bullets" during the raid in the West Bank city of Jenin, adding it is "unknown" whether it was Israeli or Palestinian gunfire that killed the reporter.

Noting that Abu Akleh was killed by a bullet 5.56 millimeters in diameter from an M16 rifle, it said that such rifles are used by both Israeli forces and Palestinian "cells" in the West Bank.

"The information is insufficient to determine which side fired the bullet," it added.

Also, the Yedioth Ahronoth daily said that Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz requested the Palestinian administration to deliver the bullet that killed Abu Akleh to the Israeli authorities for ballistic examination.

Earlier, the Palestinian Health Ministry said the journalist was shot in the head by the Israeli army while covering a military raid.

Abu Akleh was born in Jerusalem in 1971 and earned a BA in journalism and media from Yarmouk University in Jordan. She worked as a reporter for the Arabic-language channel Al Jazeera for 25 years until she was killed.