Israel's army has rejected allegations of premeditation in the case of Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed in the West Bank, following an internal investigation. "The journalist was not shot intentionally in any way," the army announced. According to the army's account, it is not clear from where the fatal shot came. The journalist from the TV channel Al Jazeera was killed in May during an Israeli military operation in Jenin in the northern West Bank. The army later reported that there had been fierce exchanges of fire with Palestinian activists in Jenin. The woman's death had caused international consternation. The Palestinian attorney general blamed Israel and accused the soldiers of deliberately killing the journalist.
The army has now offered the Palestinians a joint investigation into the case. The Palestinian leadership had previously rejected this.
The statement continued: "The army regrets when bystanders are harmed in exchanges of fire or fighting. Israeli soldiers were very careful to ensure freedom of the press." - dpa
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