Retired U.S. Colonel Reveals Deliberate Shooting of Journalist Abu Akleh by Zionist Forces
A retired U.S. military colonel involved in the probe of the 2022 incident in which veteran journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American, was fatally shot by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, has affirmed his belief that an Israeli soldier deliberately targeted her.
Colonel Steve Gabavics, a seasoned military police officer with three decades of service and the former commander of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, informed The New York Times that the Israeli soldier who fired the fatal shot intentionally aimed at Abu Akleh.
A prominent 51-year-old journalist tragically lost her life while reporting on the conflict between Israeli forces and Palestinian resistance fighters in the Jenin refugee camp on May 11, 2022. At the time of the incident, she was clearly identified as press, wearing a vest labeled “Press” and a protective helmet.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, she was urgently transported to a hospital in Jenin in critical condition and was subsequently pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
Ali Samoudi, a Palestinian journalist affiliated with Al Jazeera, remains in stable condition following hospitalization after sustaining a gunshot wound to the back.
The Israeli military initially attributed the incident to Palestinian fighters; however, after conducting an investigation, it later admitted that it was highly probable that she was shot by a soldier who had “misidentified” her.
Gabavics has alleged that the Biden administration adjusted its findings to avoid diplomatic tensions with the Tel Aviv government.
In response to the American investigation concluding that the shooting was unintentional, he and his fellow investigators expressed their disbelief, describing themselves as “flabbergasted” by the findings released.
Gabavics asserts that the analysis of radio communications, the strategic positioning of Israeli forces, and the accuracy of the shots suggest that Abu Akleh was intentionally targeted.
A retired officer from the US military, who was employed at the US Office of the Coordinator for Security Affairs, referenced evidence indicating that Israeli soldiers were aware of the presence of journalists and could visibly identify their “Press” markings.
He contended that the succession of gunfire, which resulted in the death of Abu Akleh and injuries to others, suggested that an accidental shooting was unlikely.
Disagreement emerged among the officials involved in the matter. Gabavics’s then-superior, Lieutenant General Michael Fenzel, expressed that there was insufficient evidence to support the notion of an intentional attack.
Earlier this year, a documentary broadcasted by Zeteo News unveiled Captain Alon Scagio, who was a 20-year-old sniper in the Duvdevan commando unit at the time, as the alleged shooter responsible for the fatal incident.
In 2023, Scagio tragically lost his life at the age of 22 due to an improvised explosive device in Jenin.
The killing of Abu Akleh has sparked global condemnation from a broad spectrum of international entities, including governments, human rights organizations, media advocacy groups, and resistance movements worldwide.
