IDF: 'High possibility' journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by 'unintentional fire' from an Israeli soldier

The Israel Defense Forces said Monday that there is a "high possibility" that Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by "unintentional fire" from an Israeli soldier, Axios and Haaretz report. "It needs to be said that there were both IDF soldiers and Palestinians at the scene," a high-ranking Israeli army official told Haaretz. "The most likely scenario is that a soldier mistakenly fired the shots, while he himself was being fired at."

The IDF said they had identified the solider who likely killed the 51-year-old correspondent, who was wearing a bulletproof vest that said "PRESS" at the time of her death, and that "it was a mistake and he is sorry for it." An investigation into the incident will not be opened because "there is no suspicion that a criminal offense was committed," according to the Israeli Military Advocate General's Office.

Abu Akleh was killed while covering an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Jenin. She made her presence known to soldiers, and a number of onlookers even stopped to watch her work, given her fame. Read more about the firestorm surrounding her death at The Week.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up