US: Shot that killed journalist likely fired from Israelis

The State Department said there was no reason to believe that the shooting was intentional.

Ned Price, a spokesman for the State Department, said that the finding was made after the U.S. said that the tests were not conclusive. An extremely detailed forensic analysis was conducted by independent, third party examiners.

The bullet was badly damaged, which prevented a clear conclusion as to who fired it.

Abu Akleh, a veteran Palestinian-American correspondent who was well known throughout the Arab world, was shot and killed while covering an Israeli military raid in the Jenin refugee camp. The Palestinians say that Israeli troops killed her and there were no militant nearby.

A forensic analysis of the bullet that killed her would determine if it was fired by a soldier or a militant. An Israeli soldier may have accidentally hit her during an exchange of fire with a militant.

According to Price, the U.S. security officials concluded that gunfire from the Israeli Defense Force was likely to blame for the death of Abu Akleh.

Price said that the U.S. found no reason to believe that this was intentional but rather the result of tragic circumstances during a military operation.

The findings of the Israeli military's investigation were presented to the Palestinians in a statement that was likely to anger them.

While the bullet was in the custody of U.S. officials, it was examined by Israeli experts in a forensic laboratory.

The military said that the investigation should be continued using all available means. The decision to launch a criminal investigation will only be made after the investigation is complete.

Within hours of Abu Akleh's death, the Palestinian Authority and Al Jazeera said Israeli forces targeted her.

She was killed by Israeli forces according to accounts by her crew. The New York Times, Washington Post and CNN all came to the same conclusions.

That's right.

Krauss was reporting from Canada. Ilan Ben Zion is a reporter for the AP.