Israel will not hold legal inquiry into killing of journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh | Israel

Israel won't launch a prison investigation into the killing of the US-Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh, which Palestinian officials and witnesses have blamed on Israeli soldiers.

In a statement released on Thursday, the Israel Protection Forces claimed that because Abu Aqleh was killed in an “lively combat state of affairs”, an immediate criminal investigation wouldn't be launched, although an “operational inquiry” would continue.

According to a report in the Haaretz newspaper, the Israeli military police department has accepted the assurances of Israeli troops that they were not aware she was in a village adjacent to the Jenin refugee camp when she was killed on 11 Could.

The Biden administration and the UN safety council have called for a transparent investigation.

Abu Aqleh was a family name throughout the Arab world, recognized for documenting the hardship of Palestinian life underneath Israeli rule for Al Jazeera. Her killing acquired widespread worldwide coverage and prompted criticism from the White House.

The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, promised her household that Washington would demand that her death be correctly investigated.

Abu Aqleh was killed during an arrest raid by an Israeli commando unit on Palestinian militants.

In line with Haaretz, the head of the Commando Brigade, Col Meni Liberty, recognized six occasions throughout the raid when Israeli soldiers opened fireplace, allegedly at armed Palestinians who were near Abu Aqleh and different journalists.

The Israeli army had beforehand released an account that stated it could not unequivocally determine the source of the bullet that killed Abu Aqleh. That account speculated that the bullet could have been fired by both a Palestinian militant or an Israeli soldier utilizing a “telescopic scope” at 200 metres.

Palestinian officers have refused to offer the recovered bullet to Israeli authorities to analyse but stated it welcomed worldwide investigations.

The decision by the Israeli navy advocate general, Maj Gen Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, to not order an investigation by the military police legal investigation division marks a departure from the vast majority of latest incidents involving IDF shootings of civilians in the occupied West Financial institution, which have been followed by investigations.

At her funeral on Friday police beat mourners carrying her casket, prompting extra criticism of Israeli authorities.

Final week the UN high commissioner for human rights, Michelle Bachelet, complained about a lack of Israeli accountability for deaths in the occupied territories.

Commenting on Abu Aqleh’s killing and the following violence at her funeral, Bachelet mentioned: “As I have referred to as for many times before, there must be applicable investigations into the actions of Israeli security forces.

“Anyone discovered responsible ought to be held to account with penal and disciplinary sanctions commensurate to the gravity of the violation. This tradition of impunity should end now.”

The Israeli NGO Yesh Din criticised the decision to not investigate, saying that “the military regulation enforcement mechanisms no longer even trouble to provide the looks of investigating”.

More than 100 artists, including Hollywood stars, acclaimed authors and prominent musicians, have in the meantime signed a joint letter condemning Abu Aqleh’s killing.

Steve Coogan, Kathryn Hahn, Mark Ruffalo, Susan Sarandon and Tilda Swinton had been among the signatories to a letter printed by Artists for Palestine UK that referred to as for “full accountability for the perpetrators of this crime and everybody involved in authorising it”.

The Israel Defence Forces released a press release on Thursday claiming that “dozens of Palestinian gunmen fired recklessly and indiscriminately while IDF troopers were conducting counter-terrorism activities within the Jenin camp” on the day that Abu Aqleh died.

“An alternate of fireside occurred between Palestinian gunmen and the soldiers. Toward the top of the exercise, the journalist Shireen Abu [Aqleh], who was current on the battle zone in the course of the trade of fireplace, was hit.

“Because of the nature of the active combat state of affairs, an instantaneous [military criminal] investigation was not launched. A call regarding the need of an … investigation will probably be decided by the navy advocacy, in accordance with the findings of the still-ongoing operational inquiry, as is normal in such cases.”

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The police branch resolution came a day after Israeli authorities mentioned they've given the go-ahead for flag-waving Jewish nationalists to march through the heart of the primary Palestinian thoroughfare in Jerusalem’s Old Metropolis later this month, in a call that threatens to re-ignite violence in the holy metropolis.

The office of the public safety minister, Omer Barlev, stated the march would happen on 29 Could along its “customary route” by way of Damascus Gate, which is an Arab neighbourhood.

The Old City, positioned in East Jerusalem, has experienced weeks of violent confrontations between Israeli police and Palestinian demonstrators, and the march threatens to set off new unrest.