Shireen Abu Akleh: Israel won’t cooperate with US death probe

Israel has said it will not cooperate with any “external investigation” into the death of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. 

The journalist was shot in the head in May whilst reporting on a raid in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian-American was a much-loved journalist across the middle east. 

Israeli defence minister Benny Gantz has said it was “a mistake” for US authorities to open an investigation into the killing. 

Eyewitnesses say she was shot by Israeli troops. 

US media outlet Axios reported that US Justice Department had informed Israel’s Justice Ministry that the FBI had opened an investigation into her death. 

Whilst Mr Gantz said the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) had conducted a “professional, independent investigation” that had been shared with US authorities, adding that he had told American officials that “we stand by the IDF’s soldiers, that we will not cooperate with an external investigation, and will not enable intervention to internal investigations”.