Senator Chris Van Hollen on Monday requested that the US government declassify a report on the death of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot while covering an Israeli army raid last year.
"I urge the administration to immediately declassify it in its entirety," Mr Van Hollen said in a statement.
"I strongly believe that its public release is vital to ensuring transparency and accountability in the shooting death of American citizen and journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, and to avoiding future preventable and wrongful deaths — goals we should all support.”
One of the most recognisable journalists covering the Palestinian-Israeli conflict for two decades, Abu Akleh was killed in May 2022 during an Israeli raid in the West Bank city of Jenin.
Israel claims Abu Akleh, who was wearing a clearly marked protective press vest and helmet, was probably unintentionally shot by an Israeli soldier but could also have been struck by Palestinian fire.
Abu Akleh's family believes she was killed deliberately, and witnesses have said there were no Palestinian fighters firing in the area where she was standing.
The US Security Co-ordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority (USSC) conducted an investigation, but the report remains classified.
Mr Van Hollen, a Democrat on the Senate's foreign relations committee who was able to see the report, said it contained important insights into her death.
His request on Monday adds to repeated calls by Democrats for more information from the US government.
Mr Van Hollen said that while the USSC team was "unable to conduct an independent investigation" due to lack of access to key witnesses, the report's public release was still vital to ensuring accountability in the death of a US citizen.
"Nevertheless, the report does provide very important insights into the circumstances that led to Shireen Abu Akleh’s wrongful death, including relevant information and findings about the conduct of the Israel Defence Forces unit involved in that operation, as well as other IDF units operating in the West Bank," he wrote.
In December, Al Jazeera made a submission to the International Criminal Court over Abu Akleh's killing.
Her family has supported such efforts while urging action by the Biden administration.
Israel insists that its soldiers do not deliberately target journalists and has refused to identify the soldier who may have shot Abu Akleh.
Reuters contributed to this report
