Twenty-four members of the U.S. Senate have called on President Joe Biden to have the United States intervene directly in the investigation into the death of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. The Democratic senators stated in their letter, which was not signed by any Republicans, that since Abu Akleh's death last month, "there has not been significant progress towards opening an independent, comprehensive, and transparent investigation into her killing." They noted that neither side trusts the other to conduct a reliable and independent investigation, and therefore, they believe the only way to achieve this goal is for the United States to be directly involved in the inquiry.
The U.S. senators highlighted that 57 members of the House of Representatives called last month on the State Department and the FBI to initiate an independent investigation under U.S. auspices to uncover the truth about the journalist's death. The lawmakers added, "We join this request, which has become more urgent due to new information that has emerged in recent weeks." They addressed Biden, saying, "We know you agree that journalists should be able to perform their jobs without fear of assault, and in order to protect press freedom, a thorough and transparent investigation under U.S. supervision is necessary to arrive at the truth and provide accountability for the killing of this citizen and American journalist."
In this context, State Department spokesperson Ned Price responded to a question about whether the U.S. is considering conducting its own investigation: "This is not on the table at the moment. The Israelis and Palestinians are conducting their own investigations, and we want to see these investigations carried out in a comprehensive, neutral, and transparent manner, culminating in accountability."
