The Palestinian Authority said Sunday that the US experts asked to examine the bullet that killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh had returned it to Ramallah, noting that the results of the forensic analysis have yet to be handed over.
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Minister of Justice, Mohammad Fahhad Al-Shalaldeh told the Qatari news network that "handing over the bullet to the Americans was based on the fact that Abu Akleh had American citizenship, and we do not oppose conducting any neutral investigation to reach those who perpetrated this crime – that is, the occupation.
"We worked with the Americans and they have a moral obligation to conduct this test [impartially]. We are waiting for the results of the report.
Abu Akleh, 51, a veteran correspondent who was well known throughout the Arab world, was fatally shot on May 11 while covering an Israeli military raid in Jenin, a known Islamic Jihad stronghold in the West Bank.
The Palestinians, along with Abu Akleh's colleagues who were with her at the time, say she was killed by Israeli fire. The Israeli military says that she was caught in the crossfire of a battle with Palestinian terrorists and that it is impossible to determine which side killed her without analyzing the bullet.
The Palestinians have refused to allow Israel to conduct a forensic analysis of the bullet or be part of the American team testing the projectile.
PA Attorney General Akram al-Khateeb announced on Saturday that the bullet was given to US experts "for technical work," adding that the Palestinians welcome the participation of any international bodies to "help us confirm the truth."
"We are confident and certain of our investigations and the results we have reached," he said.
Israel is preparing for several scenarios that can emerge from the forensic analysis of the bullet.
A senior Jerusalem source told Israel Hayom that if Israel was at fault for the journalist's death it would not shirk responsibility, but stressed that the possibility of the PA giving the Americans an Israeli bullet from a different event to sway the results could not be dismissed.
Israel will take steps to "make sure the PA gave the US the genuine bullet," he said, without elaborating on the issue.
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