A retired officer in the US military who investigated the 2022 killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the West Bank told The New York Times in a Monday report that he is certain an Israeli sniper was aware she was a journalist — though not her exact identity — when he shot her, contradicting the probe’s findings and the opinions of other investigators.

The 51-year-old Palestinian-American reporter was killed while covering clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinian terror operatives in the Jenin refugee camp on May 11, 2022. She was wearing a vest marked “Press” and a helmet at the time.

The IDF initially blamed Palestinian gunmen, but following a probe, it later acknowledged that she was very likely shot by a soldier who “misidentified” her.

Col. Steve Gabavics told the NY Times he believes the soldier targeted Abu Akleh despite knowing she was a journalist and being able to see her vest was marked “Press.”

He further claimed then-US president Joe Biden’s administration softened its own findings despite what he said was clear evidence. Gabavics said that when the American conclusions, which did not find the shooting intentionally targeted journalists, were publicized, he and other colleagues “were just flabbergasted that this is what they put out.”

Col. Gabavics, a 30-year veteran of the US military police, including a stint as commander of the US military prison at Guantánamo Bay, said radio recordings showed Israeli soldiers knew journalists were present and had faced no gunfire from their direction. He said his investigation showed that from the location of the........

© The Times of Israel