An Israeli soldier likely fired the bullet which killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during clashes in Jenin last month, the Washington Post concluded on Monday in an analysis of all audio snippets, visuals and witness statements from the scene of the killing.
'Fatal bullet likely came from an Israeli soldier'
The Post claims to have examined dozens of videos, photos and social media posts from the day of the killing. The American news outlet has also conducted two physical inspections of the area and "commissioned two independent acoustic analyses of the gunshots."
The report used testimonies from Ali al-Samoudi and Shatha Hanaysheh, colleagues of Abu Akleh, as they were present at the time of the killing.
In addition, it also used testimony and videos taken by 27-year-old Jenin resident Saleem Awaad.
Awaad stated they started live streaming clashes between Palestinian rioters and Israeli forces on TikTok. The eight-minute stream reportedly shows the journalists walking toward Israeli military vehicles before six gunshots are heard less than 30 seconds later.
In another video obtained by the Post, another burst of gunfire is heard shortly after the initial one, and according to the report, that was when Shireen was shot dead. Audio experts who analyzed the videos said that the "sound wave produced by the gunshots for both bursts of gunfire was consistent, suggesting a single person pulling the trigger of a rifle that fires supersonic bullets almost as fast as they can,” the report noted.
The IDF responded to The Washington Post's report, stating that the investigations into the incident are ongoing. In addition, the IDF stressed in the response the importance of obtaining the bullet in order to "reach an evidence-based conclusion."
News outlets blame Israeli soldiers for killing
The Washington Post report follows similar reports by CNN, the New York Times and Al Jazeera, all of which placed the blame on Israeli forces.
However, unlike CNN's report, the Post's does not allege Abu Akleh was killed in a targeted attack by the IDF.
In May, Al Jazeera's US-based bureau chief Abderrahim Foukara told the UN Security Council that his network can prove Abu Akleh "was killed by an Israeli bullet." The Palestinian Authority, which is in possession of the fatal bullet, also claimed Israeli soldiers killed the reporter.