- Dupont set for Toulouse return after post-Olympic holiday
- French rugby bosses tighten discipline after nightmare Argentina tour
- Oil prices extend gains on Mideast tensions, Wall Street slips
- Visitors to get rare view of Rome's Trevi Fountain
- Europe's asteroid mission Hera launches despite hurricane
- Man City and Premier League both claim victory in legal case
- Deschamps delight as 'light back on' for Pogba after doping ban
- Biden, Harris urge Mideast peace on Oct. 7 anniversary
- Neeskens, tough midfielder in Cruyff's Ajax and Dutch teams
- UN warns world's water cycle becoming ever more erratic
- Oil prices extend gains on Mideast tensions, Wall Street retreats
- Ex-Dutch football star Johan Neeskens dies
- Man Utd battling to improve fortunes, says Evans
- What is microRNA? Nobel-winning discovery explained
- Masood, Abdullah centuries lift Pakistan to 328-4 in first England Test
- Hurricane Milton strengthens fast, threatens Mexico, Florida
- Tunisia's President Saied set for landslide election win
- Barca hoping to return to Camp Nou 'by end of year'
- Trump to open second golf course at Scotland resort in summer 2025
- Super-sub Jhon Duran rewarded with new Aston Villa deal
- US duo win Nobel for gene regulation breakthrough
- Masood hits first ton for four years to power Pakistan to 233-1
- Fritz wins delayed match to reach Shanghai Masters third round
- Naomi Osaka pulls out of Japan Open with back injury
- Weather may delay launch of mission to study deflected asteroid
- China to flesh out economic stimulus plans after bumper rally
- Artist Marina Abramovic hopes first China show offers tech respite
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on US jobs data
- Pakistan 122-1 at lunch in first England Test
- Kazakhs approve plan for first nuclear power plant
- World marks anniversary of Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- 'Second family': tennis stars hunt winning formula with new coaches
- Philippines, South Korea agree to deepen maritime cooperation
- Mexico mayor murdered days after taking office
- Sardinia's sheep farmers battle bluetongue as climate warms
- Japan govt admits doctoring 'untidy' cabinet photo
- Israel marks first anniversary of Hamas's October 7 attack
- Darvish tames Ohtani as Padres thrash Dodgers
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on jobs data
- Family affair as LeBron, Bronny James make Lakers bow
- Cancer, cardiovascular drugs tipped for Nobel as prize week opens
- As Great Salt Lake dries, Utah Republicans pardon Trump climate skepticism
- Amazon activist warns of 'critical situation' ahead of UN forum
- Mourners pay tribute to latest victims of deadly Channel crossing
- Tunisia incumbent Saied set to win presidential vote: exit polls
- Phillies win thriller to level Mets series
- Yu bags first PGA Tour win with playoff win
- PSG held by Nice to leave Monaco clear at top of Ligue 1
- AC Milan fall at Fiorentina after De Gea's penalty heroics
- Lewandowski treble for leaders Barca as Atletico held
RBGPF | -1.97% | 58.94 | $ | |
RYCEF | -1.45% | 6.88 | $ | |
CMSC | -0.61% | 24.55 | $ | |
RIO | -0.27% | 69.51 | $ | |
SCS | -0.57% | 12.897 | $ | |
AZN | -0.51% | 77.08 | $ | |
GSK | 0.08% | 38.85 | $ | |
NGG | -1.22% | 65.7 | $ | |
RELX | -0.83% | 45.91 | $ | |
VOD | 0.23% | 9.682 | $ | |
BTI | -0.23% | 35.21 | $ | |
CMSD | -0.21% | 24.76 | $ | |
BCC | 0.45% | 139.53 | $ | |
BCE | -0.58% | 33.514 | $ | |
BP | 0.72% | 33.12 | $ | |
JRI | -0.23% | 13.25 | $ |
Israel concedes soldier likely shot Al Jazeera journalist
The Israeli army conceded for the first time Monday that it was likely Palestinian-American reporter Shireen Abu Akleh was shot dead by an Israeli soldier who mistook her for a militant.
"There is a high possibility that Ms Abu Akleh was accidentally hit by IDF (Israel Defense Forces) gunfire that was fired toward suspects identified as armed Palestinian gunmen," said the army's final investigation report into her May 11 death.
The acknowledgement comes after months in which the army had insisted it was impossible to determine the source of the deadly shot that killed the celebrated Al Jazeera journalist in the occupied West Bank, saying it could have been militant fire.
"Our conclusion is that it's not possible to determine unequivocally which gunfire killed her, but there's a higher probability that she was hit by an errant shot of an IDF soldier who did not identify her as a journalist," a senior Israeli military officer said.
Abu Akleh was wearing a bulletproof vest marked "Press" and a helmet when she was shot in the head during the Israeli army operation on May 11.
The Abu Akleh family on Monday said that Israel had "refused to take responsibility for the murder" of the journalist, in a press release issued in the wake of the Israeli army's investigation report.
"We remain deeply hurt, frustrated and disappointed," the family said, calling for a "credible" US investigation.
The Palestinian Authority accused Israel of intentionally killing the reporter in the Jenin refugee camp, in the northern West Bank, whereas Israel has insisted that even if a soldier fired the fatal shot it was not deliberate.
- 'Call for accountability' -
On Monday, the senior army officer told reporters that the Israeli soldiers were under heavy fire and aimed to hit Abu Akleh because they had mistaken her for a Palestinian militant.
"When they fired in her direction they didn't know she was a journalist, it was a mistake, they thought they were firing at terrorists shooting at them," the officer said.
"He's sorry about it and I'm sorry about it too," the officer said of the soldier who shot in the direction of Abu Akleh.
"He didn't do it on purpose, it's totally clear," he added.
A United Nations investigation concluded in June that there was "no evidence of activity by armed Palestinians close by" when Abu Akleh was shot.
The United States on July 4 said she was likely shot by Israeli fire but that there was no evidence her killing was intentional and that the bullet was too damaged for a conclusive finding.
The US statement outraged Abu Akleh's family and Palestinian leaders who accused Washington of failing to seek accountability from Israel over the killing of the journalist, who also held US citizenship.
"We are continuing to call for accountability and for justice for Shireen," Lina Abu Akleh, the journalist's niece, said in Washington after meeting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
In May, Israel's military advocate had said there was no suspicion of criminal activity since the event took place in an active combat zone.
The military advocate said Monday that the circumstances of the incident "do not raise the suspicion of a crime having been committed which would justify the opening of a criminal investigation".
X.Karnes--AMWN