NPR News

The bullet that killed Al Jazeera's Shireen Abu Akleh has been sent to U.S. officials

Published July 2, 2022 at 4:32 PM EDT

TOPSHOT - Archimandrite Abdullah Yulio, parish priest of the Melkite Greek Catholic church in Ramallah, speaks during the 40th day after death memorial service for the late Palestinian and veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh at the Melkite Greek Catholic Church of the Presentation of the Lord at the Temple (al-Liqaa) in the Palestinian neighbourhood of Beit Hanina in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem on June 18, 2022. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP) (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)

The Palestinian Authority says it has given U.S. officials the bullet that killed prominent Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and Israeli officials had no immediate comment.

Despite several outside investigations suggesting the Israeli army killed her, Israel has said it can't determine the facts until Palestinians submit the bullet for a joint forensic investigation, and the U.S. has been calling on Palestinians and Israelis to share evidence.

After refusing to hand over the bullet to Israel, the Palestinian Public Prosecutor says his office has given the bullet to U.S. officials but refuses to give it to Israeli officials.

A Palestinian official speaking on condition of anonymity told NPR the sharing of the bullet was agreed upon in a phone call Thursday between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Abu Akleh's family tells NPR they are concerned and alarmed by the news of the bullet being shared with U.S. officials.

They had been calling for a U.S.-led investigation, but now they say no officials have updated them about who will be examining the bullet, and they have doubts the process will lead to accountability.