An Israeli soldier probably killed Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh with errant fire, an Israeli military report has found.
A senior military official said on Monday that its senior legal officer would not open a criminal investigation into her death.
"There is a high possibility that Ms Abu Akleh was accidentally hit by IDF [Israel Defence Forces] gunfire that was fired towards suspects identified as armed Palestinian gunmen," AFP quoted the army's final report into her May 11 death as saying.
The Israeli military findings echo conclusions reached by the UN Human Rights Office in June.
UN spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said the shots that killed Abu Akleh and wounded her colleague, Ali Sammoudi, came from Israeli security forces "and not from indiscriminate firing by armed Palestinians, as initially claimed by Israeli authorities”.
Palestinian officials have also blamed Israel for the killing. Israel initially said Abu Akleh might have been killed by militant fire, but later said a soldier might have shot her by mistake during an exchange of fire.
The Israeli official said the military could not conclusively determine from where the shots were fired, saying there might have been Palestinian gunmen in the same area as the Israeli soldier.
But he said there was a "very high likelihood" a soldier killed the journalist by mistake.
"He's sorry about it and I'm sorry about it too," the officer said of the soldier who shot in the direction of Abu Akleh.
"He didn't do it on purpose, it's totally clear."
The official did not explain why witness accounts and videos showed limited militant activity in the area, and no gunfire until the shots that hit Abu Akleh.
The UN investigation concluded there was "no evidence of activity by armed Palestinians close by" when Abu Akleh was shot.
Her sister Lina said Israel refused to take responsibility for the killing.
"We could never expect any type of accountability or legitimate investigation from the very entity responsible for gunning down an unarmed and clearly identifiable journalist," she said on Twitter as she shared a statement from the family.
The family met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in July, telling him they would not stop campaigning until the US opened an independent investigation into Abu Akleh's death.
"We continue to call on the many members of Congress, civil society organisations, journalists and the public to keep the pressure on President [Joe] Biden and Secretary Blinken to follow through with meaningful action," the family statement released on Monday read.
The group is also pushing for an investigation by the International Criminal Court.
"Israel's killing of our dear Shireen cannot be swept aside. No other family should have to endure what our family has had to," her family said.
On Monday evening, Ned Price, the US State Department spokesman, said: "We welcome Israel’s review of this tragic incident, and again underscore the importance of accountability in this case, such as policies and procedures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future."
AP and AFP contributed to this report
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
more from Janine di Giovanni
Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier
ICC Academy, November 22-28
UAE fixtures
Nov 22, v Malaysia
Nov 23, v Hong Kong
Nov 25, v Bhutan
Nov 26, v Kuwait
Nov 28, v Nepal
ICC T20I rankings
14. Nepal
17. UAE
25. Hong Kong
34. Kuwait
35. Malaysia
44. Bhutan
UAE squad
Chaya Mughal (captain), Natasha Cherriath, Samaira Dharnidharka, Kavisha Egodage, Mahika Gaur, Priyanjali Jain, Suraksha Kotte, Vaishnave Mahesh, Judit Peter, Esha Rohit, Theertha Satish, Chamani Seneviratne, Khushi Sharma, Subha Venkataraman
US households add $601bn of debt in 2019
American households borrowed another $601 billion (Dh2.2bn) in 2019, the largest yearly gain since 2007, just before the global financial crisis, according to February data from the New York Federal Reserve Bank.
Fuelled by rising mortgage debt as homebuyers continued to take advantage of low interest rates, the increase last year brought total household debt to a record high, surpassing the previous peak reached in 2008 just before the market crash, according to the report.
Following the 22nd straight quarter of growth, American household debt swelled to $14.15 trillion by the end of 2019, the New York Fed said in its quarterly report.
In the final three months of the year, new home loans jumped to their highest volume since the fourth quarter of 2005, while credit cards and auto loans also added to the increase.
The bad debt load is taking its toll on some households, and the New York Fed warned that more and more credit card borrowers — particularly young people — were falling behind on their payments.
"Younger borrowers, who are disproportionately likely to have credit cards and student loans as their primary form of debt, struggle more than others with on-time repayment," New York Fed researchers said.
Bio:
Favourite Quote: Prophet Mohammad's quotes There is reward for kindness to every living thing and A good man treats women with honour
Favourite Hobby: Serving poor people
Favourite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite food: Fish and vegetables
Favourite place to visit: London
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The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
