Made in America, fired in the West Bank: The bullet that killed Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh
Borzou Daragahi
THE INDEPENDENT
Al Jazeera is airing an image of what it describes as the American-made bullet that killed its longtime Palestinian reporter Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied West Bank last month.
© AP shin.jpg
The pan-Arab broadcaster said the bullet was a 5.56mm round shot by an M4 rifle often used by Israeli armed forces. The bullet was “designed and manufactured” in the United States, Al Jazeera reported.
It cited a former Jordanian major general, Fayez al-Dwairi, as claiming it was the type of munition “used by the Israeli army”.
The bullet, which often comes with a green tip, is often described as a “penetrator round”, for its ability to pierce through armour.
Abu Akleh was wearing blue helmet and body armour marked with the word “Press”. Al Jazeera’s report said that the powerful bullet pierced her helmet, entered her head, and ricocheted against the inner surface of her protective gear.
US authorities sought to restrict the sale of the green tips to civilians in 2015, citing its threat to law enforcement officers wearing body armour.
Al Jazeera and numerous independent investigators allege that Israeli forces shot Abu Akleh as she and her team were setting up to report on soldiers conducting a raid on a village in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin.
The pan-Arab broadcaster said the bullet was a 5.56mm round shot by an M4 rifle often used by Israeli armed forces. The bullet was “designed and manufactured” in the United States, Al Jazeera reported.
It cited a former Jordanian major general, Fayez al-Dwairi, as claiming it was the type of munition “used by the Israeli army”.
The bullet, which often comes with a green tip, is often described as a “penetrator round”, for its ability to pierce through armour.
Abu Akleh was wearing blue helmet and body armour marked with the word “Press”. Al Jazeera’s report said that the powerful bullet pierced her helmet, entered her head, and ricocheted against the inner surface of her protective gear.
US authorities sought to restrict the sale of the green tips to civilians in 2015, citing its threat to law enforcement officers wearing body armour.
Al Jazeera and numerous independent investigators allege that Israeli forces shot Abu Akleh as she and her team were setting up to report on soldiers conducting a raid on a village in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin.
Israel forces have denied the accusation, offering up several conflicting narratives in what critics describe as an attempt to deflect blame. The 11 May killing of the Palestinian-American and subsequent attacks by Israeli forces on those mourning her sparked an international uproar, raising anew questions about tactics in Palestinian areas under its military control.
On Friday, Israeli forces allegedly killed three Palestinians and wounded 10 in another raid on Jenin, which has become a hotbed of militant activity. At least 60 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank this year, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Attacks by Palestinians in Israel have left at least 19 people dead since March.
American officials are walking on eggshells around the issue. Despite Abu Akleh’s US nationality, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has failed to launch its own probe, as it often does when Americans are killed abroad.
US officials say they are waiting for the outcome of an Israeli investigation. Israeli officials claim their probe could not determine whether their own troops or Palestinian militants fired the rounds that killed Abu Akleh.
Israeli authorities are also refusing to release the results of an internal probe of their conduct during Abu Akleh’s funeral, where police were caught on camera beating middle-aged mourners attempting to carry the dead journalist’s casket. Police reportedly conceded that batons should not have been used against mourners, but commissioner Kobi Shabtai blamed “rioters” for the incident.
Joe Biden is scheduled to make his first visit to Israel since his 2020 election next month. Asked by a reporter whether the US president would raise the issue with Israeli leaders, a spokesman declined to comment.
“It means a lot to President Biden – press freedom,” White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday. “His foreign policy is really rooted in values – values like freedom of the press; values like human rights, civil rights. And he’s not going to be bashful about raising those issues with any foreign leader anywhere in the world.”
Fri, June 17, 2022
JERUSALEM (AP) — The Al Jazeera news network has published an image of the bullet that it says killed its veteran reporter Shireen Abu Akleh while she was covering an Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank last month.
It identified the bullet as a U.S.-made 5.56mm round fired from an M4 rifle, commonly used by Israeli forces. The Israeli military says Palestinian militants use the same ammunition.
The military released its own image of sacks of bullets it says were confiscated in a raid last month. The bullets in the two images appear identical, with green marking on the tips.
Al Jazeera did not say how it obtained the purported image of the bullet, which is held by the Palestinian Authority. The picture shows what appears to be a curved, spent bullet in a clear plastic container labeled with a red marker.
An Associated Press reconstruction of the shooting supports accounts by Palestinian witnesses that Abu Akleh was shot by Israeli forces, but did not reach a final conclusion. Al Jazeera and the Palestinian Authority have accused Israel of targeting her, something Israel adamantly denies.
The Israeli military says she was killed during a complex military operation in which troops traded fire with Palestinian militants. It says only a sophisticated ballistic analysis of the bullet could determine whether it was fired by an Israeli soldier or a militant.
The PA says it has overwhelming evidence that Israel was responsible and has refused to hand over the bullet for analysis or cooperate with Israel in any way. Its own investigation found that she was killed by a 5.56mm round fired by a Ruger Mini-14 semiautomatic rifle.
Israel says it has identified the army rifle that could have fired the fatal round but would need to analyze the bullet to reach any firm conclusion. It has not provided details about the rifle.
Abu Akleh, a 51-year-old Palestinian-American, was a widely respected on-air correspondent for Al Jazeera's Arabic-language service who had been covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for over 25 years.
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