Shireen Abu Aqla: US releases result of test on bullet that killed reporter

The US says the bullet that killed a Palestinian-American journalist was too badly damaged to reach a definitive conclusion about whether the origin was Israeli or Palestinian gunfire.

However, findings from both sides led the US to conclude that Israeli forces were likely to have fired the shot that hit Shireen Abu Aqla in the head.

The veteran Al Jazeera reporter's death caused widespread shock and anger.

Palestinians blame Israel, but Israel says blame cannot yet be determined.

The bullet was handed over on Saturday by the Palestinians to the US embassy in Jerusalem for examination after they previously insisted on Israel's exclusion.

The Palestinians had until then refused to release the bullet which killed Abu Aqla as she was covering an Israeli operation in Jenin on 11 May, during which Israeli forces clashed with Palestinian gunmen.

Israel had previously said it had identified a soldier's weapon which might have fired the fatal shot. However, the military said on Monday that the condition of the bullet made it impossible to tell.

Israel has also said it cannot be ruled out that Palestinian militants might have shot Abu Aqla, although the UN's human rights office, as well as eyewitnesses and journalistic investigations, have concluded that Israeli soldiers were responsible.