Shireen Abu Akleh: Israel PM opposes prosecuting soldier after army says forces 'likely shot' journalist

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Wednesday pushed back against suggestions of prosecuting a soldier after the country's military said its forces likely shot dead Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied West Bank in May.

The veteran Al Jazeera reporter was wearing a bulletproof vest marked "Press" and a helmet when she was shot in the head by the Israeli army while covering a military raid in Jenin refugee camp.

The Israeli army conceded Monday for the first time that one of its soldiers had likely "accidentally hit" Abu Akleh, after having mistaken her for a militant, though eyewitnesses have said they believe she and other journalists were intentionally shot at.

"There is a high possibility that Ms Abu Akleh was accidentally hit by [Israeli army] gunfire that was fired toward suspects identified as armed Palestinian gunmen," said the military's final report into her 11 May death, which her family and employer have slammed.

The partial acknowledgement comes after months in which the army had insisted it was impossible to determine the source of the deadly shot that killed the celebrated Al Jazeera journalist, saying it could have been militant fire.

"I will not allow an [army] soldier that was protecting himself from terrorist fire to be prosecuted just to receive applause from abroad," Lapid told a military ceremony.

"No one will dictate our rules of engagement to us," he said.

"Our soldiers have the full backing of the government of Israel and the people of Israel."

US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel had told a press briefing Tuesday: "We're going to continue to press our Israeli partners to closely review its policies and practices on rules of engagement and consider additional steps to mitigate the risk of civilian harm".

Shireen Abu Akleh's family rejected the Israeli military's conclusion, saying the military "tried to obscure the truth and avoid responsibility for killing Shireen Abu Akleh" in a statement posted on Twitter.https://t.co/rQHnHoDf8m

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) September 5, 2022

A United Nations investigation concluded in June that there was "no evidence of activity by armed Palestinians close by" when Abu Akleh was shot.

Israel's military advocate said on Monday that the circumstances of the incident "do not raise the suspicion of a crime having been committed which would justify the opening of a criminal investigation".

The Abu Akleh family said that Israel had "refused to take responsibility for the murder" of the journalist.

Al Jazeera has denounced the findings of the Israeli investigation and demanded a probe by an "independent international body".

US State Department spokesman Ned Price on Monday had underscored "the importance of accountability in this case… to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future".