Washington Post: Israel soldier likely killed journalist Shireen Abu Akleh

The Washington Post has published an investigative article on the killing of Palestinian-American Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh stating that an Israeli soldier killed her on 11 May in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.

It cited multiple interviews with eyewitnesses and examined a number of videos, including live videos streamed at the moment of the shooting, as well as audio analysis.

“The Washington Post examined more than five dozen videos, social media posts and photos of the event, conducted two physical inspections of the area and commissioned two independent acoustic analyses of the gunshots,” The Post revealed.

“That review suggests an Israeli soldier in the convoy likely shot and killed Abu Akleh,” Sarah Cahlan, Meg Kelly and Steve Hendrix, who conducted and wrote the investigation, exposed.

The Washington Post went on to dispute Israeli claims that there was an exchange of gunfire between Israeli forces and Palestinian gunmen at the time Abu Akleh was killed or that a gunman was among the journalists when a soldier opened fire in his direction.

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“We were very sure there were no armed Palestinians, and no exchange of fire or clashes with the Israelis,” the newspaper reported Al-Jazeera producer Ali Samoudi sharing. The journalists then headed up the street toward the Israeli convoy. “It was totally calm, there was no gunfire at all.”

Suddenly, there was a barrage of bullets. One struck Samoudi and another hit and ultimately killed Abu Akleh as their colleagues scrambled for cover.

The newspaper also revealed: “Israel’s military has not released any evidence showing the presence of a gunman. The available video and audio evidence disputes IDF (Israeli forces) claims there was an exchange of fire in the minutes before Abu Akleh was killed and supports the accounts of multiple eyewitnesses interviewed by The Post, who said there was no firefight at the time.”

The Washington Post‘s conclusion is in line with that of major media outlets CNN and Associated Press, who confirmed in two separate reports published last month that Israeli occupation forces killed Abu Akleh. CNN even suggested that she was deliberately targeted.