Palestine welcomes US inquiry into Al Jazeera journalist’s death

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH (AA) – Palestine on Tuesday welcomed a US investigation into the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

US media reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had opened an investigation into the Palestinian-American reporter’s death.

“This decision, though it came late, reflects the conviction of the American side in the absence of any serious Israeli investigations, considering them a formality and an attempt to cover up criminals and murderers,” the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said the Palestinians are ready to cooperation with any international or US investigation into Abu Akleh’s death.

Abu Akleh, 51, was killed on May 11, and the Palestinian Health Ministry said she was shot in the head while covering an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Jenin.

Several leading media agencies, including Al Jazeera, CNN, Associated Press, Washington Post, and the New York Times, conducted their own investigations, which all came to an end that Abu Akleh was killed by an Israeli bullet.

In September, the Israeli army said Abu Akleh was likely killed by "wrong" gunfire from an Israeli soldier.

*Ikram Imane Kouachi contributed to this report.