US 'asked Israel to look at West Bank rules of engagement' after Shireen Abu Akleh killing: report

The US requested Israel review its rules of engagement in the occupied West Bank after Palestinian-American reporter Shireen Abu Akleh was shot dead by Israeli forces in May, according to sources.

The Axios website reported the news on Wednesday, citing three American and Israeli sources.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Benny Gantz, Israel's defence minister, requesting the Israeli army's ultimate findings in its probe of the Abu Akleh incident be released as quickly as possible.

It followed a meeting in Washington between Blinken and Abu Akleh's family in late July.

After the meeting, the slain Al Jazeera reporter's niece Lina tweeted that Blinken "made some commitments" but the family was "still waiting to see if this administration will meaningfully answer our calls for justice for Shireen".

Blinken told Gantz reviewing the rules of engagement would be a move in the direction of accountability, Axios's sources said.

The secretary of state said he believed either Israeli forces failed to observe the rules of engagement, or they need to be checked if Abu Akleh was killed by Israel while wearing a vest identifying her as press.

Abu Akleh had been wearing a press vest and a helmet when she was shot while covering an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank.

According to Axios's sources, Gantz replied that circumstances are not necessarily clear-cut in army operations.

The news website cited a State Department spokesperson as saying: "As the secretary said, we are calling for accountability for the tragic killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh."

A high-level Israeli figure said no formal request was made by Washington to alter Israel's rules of engagement, and that such a request would have been rejected in any case.

Our family just finished meeting with @SecBlinken. Although he made some commitments on Shireen’s killing, we’re still waiting to see if this administration will meaningfully answer our calls for #JusticeForShireen.

— Lina Abu Akleh (@LinaAbuAkleh) July 26, 2022

"Israel is a sovereign country and the rules of engagement save lives," they added.

But the US leadership is seeking to continue discussions on these rules, according to Axios's sources.

Washington in July summarised probes by the Palestinian Authority and Israeli army, concluding "gunfire from IDF [Israeli military] positions was likely responsible" for Abu Akleh's death.

It said experts had found the bullet that killed the journalist was "badly damaged", stopping a "definitive conclusion" as to its origin.

While the US controversially said it "found no reason to believe" Israel deliberately killed Abu Akleh, eyewitnesses have said the killing was intentional.