ISRAEL AT WAR - DAY 563
The Times of Israel liveblogged Wednesday’s events as they happened.
An initial investigation by the IDF into the death of reporter Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin this morning says she was likely near armed terrorists, and Israeli troops did not fire at her.
The troops from the elite Duvdvan unit say they did not see Abu Akleh or fire at her, the Walla news site reports.
The investigation says she appeared to have been standing near Palestinian gunmen who were shooting at IDF troops, the report says.
The Israeli troops responded with precise gunfire, which was determined by the number of rounds fired and their location, the report says.
Israeli investigators believe the Palestinian gunmen fired around 1,000 rounds at Israeli troops using various weapons.
The IDF has not ruled out the possibility that an Israeli bullet killed Abu Akleh.
Arab countries at the United Nations call for an independent, international probe into what they call the assassination of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead as she covered an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank.
“The Arab group in New York adopted a statement condemning in the strongest possible term this criminal act by the Israeli occupying authorities and demanding an international independent investigation on this crime,” says the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour.
He says it is necessary “to take those who are responsible for this crime to face the accountability regarding this crime.”
The demand for an independent international probe was sent in three identical letters to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, UN Security Council and president of the General Assembly, Mansour says.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz says that he regrets Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh’s death, adding that while Israeli officials cannot yet determine how she died, they intend to carry out a thorough investigation “to expose the truth.”
“Unfortunately, we do not have a way to conduct a forensic investigation, so we appealed to the Palestinians to give us the bullet [to conduct a ballistic analysis],” he says at a briefing for foreign reporters.
“We are in the middle of the investigation, and I do not want to rule out any scenario at the moment. I can say that Israel sees great importance in safeguarding human life and freedom of the press.”
Gantz adds that the incident will not stop Israel from undertaking counter-terror operations in the West Bank, and in particular Jenin — which is home to several perpetrators of a recent wave of terror attacks.
“We will continue to act against the terrorists, and at the same time we will continue to do everything possible to separate them from the population because these are our values and it is also in our interest if we want to maintain stability,” he says.
The officer in charge of the Central Command area that includes Jenin, Maj-Gen. Yehuda Fuchs, tells Channel 12 news that “hundreds, even thousands of bullets” were fired by the IDF and by Palestinian gunmen in today’s gunbattle, and “I don’t know which bullet” hit Shireen Abu Akleh. “I am sorry for every innocent person who is hurt in the course of IDF operations. We do our best to avoid it,” he says. “And I’m sorry about the death of Shireen Abu Akleh.”
He presents himself as the officer responsible — in that “I am the Central Command general. I’m responsible for ensuring that terrorist attacks do not come out of Jenin. I’m responsible for sending combat troops, risking their lives, into Jenin refugee camp to extricate people who are planning terror attacks, people who have carried out attacks, and people who are making weaponry to harm Israelis.”
Entering Jenin is always dangerous, he says, since gunfire erupts from all directions. It’s not simple. It’s an urban area. And it’s dangerous.”
Asked about the concerted Palestinian campaign of blame against Israel, Fuchs says, “I don’t deal with [propaganda] campaigns. The only campaign I’m engaged in is to protect the state of Israel. In 99% of the operations against terror in urban areas, including in Jenin where we are fired on in all directions, we don’t hit innocents. We succeed at that.
“But sometimes… when you’re fighting in a refugee camp, and dozens of [gunmen] are coming at you and firing from 270 degrees, from almost all directions, sometimes innocent people do get harmed. The journalist Shireen, who was really very close to the line where the forces were — ours and the Palestinian terrorists — was hurt there.”
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan says the Palestinian Authority has refused to hold a joint investigation into the death of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin this morning.
“The Palestinian Authority rushed to blame Israel without even the ability to know the facts,” Erdan says. That is why we called on the Palestinian Authority to be transparent and agree to a joint investigation. They have refused.”
“Her death is a tragedy but no one should use it for political gains, especially those who violate human rights on a daily basis.”
“Protecting freedom of the press is of critical importance to Israel, Erdan says, adding, “We express sorrow for her loss.”
Police report Palestinian rioting in northern Jerusalem, with rock-throwing and clashes.
Three cops are lightly hurt. Nine protesters have been detained.
Some reports say the rally was in protest of the death of Al Jazeera’s Shireen Abu Akleh.
The Israel Defense Forces says an explosion heard over central Israel a short while ago was likely a sonic boom caused by Israeli jets breaking the sound barrier amid a drill.
“There is no fear of a security incident,” the IDF says.
Several hundred people protest in Haifa over the death of Al Jazeera’s Abu Akleh, Haaretz reports.
Demonstrators block the city’s Ben Gurion Boulevard, wave Palestinian flags and chant against the Shin Bet security service.
Several dozen people also demonstrate in Nazareth, the report says.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid tells Channel 12 news he believes the US and Europe have accepted Israel’s position that it is not yet clear who is responsible for the death of Shireen Abu Akleh.
He says Israel’s offer of a joint investigation has helped it show it is determined to seriously look into the circumstances surrounding the reporter’s death.
Of course, Lapid goes on, nothing can help with the Palestinians, “where we are immediately blamed.” But public diplomacy lessons have been learned and implemented from previous incidents, he says.
Meanwhile, the network reports that the bullet extracted from Abu Akleh’s body during a Palestinian autopsy was a 5.56mm caliber M16 bullet — but that M16s are used by both Israeli forces and Palestinian gunmen, so this does not help determine who shot her. An expert examination of the bullet could help do so, however, it says.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield joins the chorus of officials condemning the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh during an IDF raid in Jenin this morning.
“I send my deepest condolences to her family,” she tweets, noting that she met her during her visit to the West Bank last year.
“We must ensure journalists performing critical work amidst conflict are protected, and we call for an immediate and thorough investigation into this tragedy,” Thomas-Greenfield adds.
