Check The Bullet That Killed Al Jazeera Journalist, Israel Will Present One US Witness

Photo illustration: Antara

JAKARTA - Israel said it would investigate a bullet that killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh to determine whether one of its soldiers shot the Palestinian-American.

Israel also said an observer from the United States would be on the scene while the inspection took place, the results of which are likely to emerge within hours.

Since Saturday, July 2, the Palestinians handed over the bullets to a coordinator from the US, saying they were given assurances that Israel would not take part in the ballistic test.

Washington has not yet commented. The United States is celebrating the 4th of July holiday.

Shireen Abu Akleh was killed on May 11 when Israel carried out raids in the occupied West Bank.

Disputes between Israelis and Palestinians over the circumstances surrounding the shooting have overshadowed US President Joe Biden's planned trip this month.

Palestinians accuse the Israeli military of killing Abu Akleh on purpose.

Israel denies this allegation, which says that Akleh may have been hit by army fire by accident or by Palestinian gunmen who clashed with its troops.

"The (ballistic) test will not be carried out by America. The test will be carried out by Israel, an American citizen will be there to witness the process," said Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Ran Kochav, citing Antara, Sunday, July 3.

"In the coming days or hours it will be clear whether it was we who killed him, accidentally, or whether the gunmen were on the Palestinian side," the spokesman told Army Radio.

"If we killed him, we will take responsibility and regret what happened."

Akram Al-Khatib, the public prosecutor for the Palestinian Authority, said the investigation would take place at the US Embassy in Jerusalem.

"We got assurances from the American coordinator that the inspection will be carried out by them and that the Israeli side will not take part," Al-Khatib told Voice of Palestine radio.

Al-Khatib also predicted that the results of the investigation would be known on Sunday.

President Biden is scheduled to meet separately with Palestinian and Israeli leaders on July 13-16.

The case of Abu Akleh will be a diplomatic and domestic test for newly appointed Prime Minister Yair Lapid.

Israel's Deputy Interior Security Minister Yoav Segalovitz said Lapid had been involved in "arranging the arrival and transfer of these shells".

"The ballistics test will take several days, together with several experts, to ensure that the assessment is carried out rigorously," Segalovitz told Army Radio.