US lawmakers seek FBI probe on Al Jazeera journalist's killing

More than 50 US lawmakers on Friday called on the FBI to investigate the killing in the occupied West Bank of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh.

The 57 House members, largely left-leaning Democrats and led by Representative Andre Carson, noted that Abu Akleh held US citizenship and pointed to divergent accounts on how she was killed on May 11.

"Given the tenuous situation in the region and the conflicting reports surrounding the death of Ms. Abu Akleh, we request the State Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation launch an investigation into Ms. Abu Akleh's death," they wrote in a letter.

"As an American, Ms. Abu Akleh was entitled to the full protections afforded to US citizens living abroad," they wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and FBI Director Christopher Wray.

The international community blames Israel for killing Abu Akleh, a prominent Al Jazeera journalist, as she covered an Israeli army raid in Jenin, in the north of the occupied West Bank.

Al Jazeera Network has said  Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli forces "in cold blood" in a horrifying crime that breaches international norms.

Israel says she may have been killed by Palestinian gunfire or a stray shot from an Israeli soldier.

The Israeli ambassador to Washington, Michael Herzog, said he was "disheartened" by the letter and that Israel had sought a joint investigation with the Palestinian Authority that would include a US observer role.

"Our call was flatly rejected by the PA, which is cynically using Ms. Abu Akleh's death to instigate an anti-Israel propaganda campaign," he said.

He called instead for Congress to press the Palestinian side on an investigation, adding that Israeli troops "would never intentionally target members of the press."

The State Department has said that it believes Israel can conduct a credible investigation but Blinken has also criticided the Israeli police for its use of force during Abu Akleh's funeral.

READ: Independent probe points to Israeli bullet in Shireen Abu Akleh's killing

Israeli military: no plan on probe

Israel's military does not plan to conduct a criminal investigation into the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead while covering an Israeli raid on the occupied West Bank, according to a media report.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Thursday that officials appeared to believe that a criminal investigation into the killing — which Palestinian authorities have blamed on Israel's troops — will not generate any result.

"...the Palestinian Authority’s refusal to conduct an autopsy and to hand over the bullet that was removed from her body for a joint ballistic exam, makes final findings difficult," the Haaretz said.

Importantly, there is no suspicion of a criminal act, the report said, and added that Israeli soldiers part of the raid had testified that they did not see the journalist and "aimed their fire at (Palestinian) gunmen".  

It said another reason for the decision was "the belief that such an investigation, which would necessitate questioning as potential criminal suspects soldiers for their actions during a military operation," would spark opposition within the military as well as the Israeli society.