The family of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh, who was shot dead on May 11 while covering clashes between IDF soldiers and terrorists in Jenin, met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday to demand justice for her death, Reuters reported. US State Department spokesperson Ned Price told a regular news briefing that Blinken was meeting the family at the department and would reiterate the need for accountability. Abu Aqleh was a Palestinian Arab who also held American citizenship. Israel has stated that without access to the bullet which killed her it is impossible to know which side fired the shot. The Palestinian Authority (PA) initially refused Israel’s request to launch a joint probe to investigate the incident, and instead released the findings of its investigation, claiming that she was shot by IDF forces. Earlier this month, the PA finally agreed to a forensic investigation by the US of the bullet that they claim killed Abu Aqleh. The State Department said several days later , based on a probe by the US Security Coordinator (USSC), that Abu Aqleh was likely killed by gunfire from Israeli positions but that it was probably unintentional and it could not be said for certain. Lina Abu Aqleh, Shireen Abu Aqleh's niece, posted on Twitter after Tuesday's meeting that family members wanted to meet President Joe Biden himself and that anything short of a US investigation that led to accountability was unacceptable. "Although he made some commitments on Shireen’s killing, we’re still waiting to see if this administration will meaningfully answer our calls for #JusticeForShireen," she wrote of meeting Blinken, according to Reuters . In June, just under half of all Democratic senators wrote to Biden to ask for the “direct involvement” of the United States in the investigation of Abu Aqleh’s death. Three weeks earlier, a bipartisan group of 25 members of Congress called on the Biden administration to demand that the Palestinian Authority provide access to forensic evidence in Abu Aqleh’s death, so that an independent investigation can take place. Related articles: 'Declassify government report on Abu Aqleh's death' Roger Waters compares Anne Frank to Shireen Abu Aqleh IDF apologizes for death of Shireen Abu Aqleh US report likely to say Abu Aqleh's death was accidental
