The Palestinian Authority said on Saturday it had delivered the bullet that killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh to U.S. forensic experts, taking a step toward resolving a clash with Israel over the investigation into her death.
Abu Aqleh, a veteran correspondent known throughout the Arab world, was shot dead while covering an Israeli military raid on May 11 at the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.
Palestinians, along with Abu Aqleh’s comrades who were with her at the time, say she was killed by Israeli fire.
The Israeli army says she was caught in the crossfire of a battle with Palestinian gunmen, and that it is impossible to determine which side killed her without analyzing the bullet. Palestinians have refused to deliver the bullet to Israel, saying they do not trust them.
Palestinian Attorney General Akram al-Khatib said Saturday that the bullet was handed over to U.S. experts “for technical work.” He reiterated the Palestinian refusal to share the bullet with the Israelis.
Al-Khatib said the Palestinians welcome the participation of any international body that “helps us confirm the truth.” “We are confident and confident in our research and the results we have achieved,” he said.
It was not immediately clear what American experts could discover without also studying the Israeli weapon that Israel says could have fired the shot. There was no immediate word from Israel about whether to share the rifle.
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The Palestinian announcement comes just over a week before President Joe Biden visits the region.
A Palestinian official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was discussing a diplomatic matter, said the issue was raised in a phone call between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. and that both parties hope to resolve the issue before Biden’s visit.