US pledges to pursue accountability over killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh

By Firdevs Bulut Kartal

TORONTO (AA) - The US has pledged to pursue accountability over the death of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and take necessary measures to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future.

"We condemned Shireen's killing when it happened a year ago and we condemn it today as well. And we continue to pursue accountability to ensure that steps are taken to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future," State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said Thursday.

Both the findings from the Israeli army and the findings from the US security coordinator continue to indicate that there was not an "intentionality" to the "very tragic incident," Patel told a press briefing.

Abu Akleh, 51, a Palestinian-American journalist, 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.

- Russia's ending visa regime to Georgia

Regarding Russia's ending visas to Georgia and resuming direct flights between two countries, the spokesman said: "If direct flights between Russia and Georgia resume, we, of course, would be concerned that companies at Georgia and airports could be at risk for sanctions if they service aircraft subject to import and export controls"

Russia banned direct flights with Georgia in 2019, following protests against the invitation of the Russian delegation to participate in the plenary session of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy, held in the Georgian Parliament in Tbilisi.

While Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili welcomed Russia's decision, the waiver was criticized by Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, who called the move a "provocation".

- Conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan

About the ongoing violence between the two countries, Patel said: "This kind of violence, we believe -- it undermines the progress made by Armenia and Azerbaijan toward a durable and dignified peace".

He called for the two nations to pursue a peaceful resolution after the conflicts.

One Azerbaijani military personnel was killed and another was injured in two separate incidents of "provocative fire" by Armenian forces in the Basarkechar region Monday.

Tensions between the neighboring countries increased in recent months over the Lachin corridor, the only land route giving Armenia access to Karabakh.​​​​​​​