Palestinian Justice Minister Mohammad Shalaldeh indicated late Sunday that the United States has returned the bullet used in the assassination of Al Jazeera reporter, martyr Shireen Abu Akleh, following forensic examinations. In a press statement, Shalaldeh stated that the Palestinian Authority is awaiting the U.S. report regarding Abu Akleh's death to initiate proceedings for a trial and to bring those responsible to justice.
The return of the bullet came 24 hours after the Palestinian Authority handed it over to the U.S. side for an independent forensic examination at the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, after experts were specifically brought in from the United States for this purpose.
Shalaldeh mentioned that the Palestinian Authority is not opposed to conducting an impartial investigation to bring the person responsible for Abu Akleh's death to trial. He noted that the U.S. committed to conducting the examination on the bullet and that the Palestinian Authority has no information regarding Israel's involvement in the examination process.
He explained that the U.S. request for the bullet that led to Abu Akleh's assassination has legal implications and necessitates a comprehensive investigation into the crime, pointing out that the Palestinian Authority expects the U.S. to pressure Israel to provide the weapon used in the murder.
