Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid indicated that “no one will give us instructions to shoot,” in response to a US inquiry following the release of the results of an investigation into the murder of Palestinian journalist Shirin Abu Akle.

On Monday, U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesman Vidant Patel said, “We will continue to pressure our Israeli partners to scrutinize policy and behavior regarding rules of engagement in detail and explore additional steps to avoid harming civilians, protect journalists, and prevent further tragedy. .”

Speaking at the graduation ceremony for a new batch of naval officers, Lapid stressed: “I will not allow the trial of an IDF soldier who defended his life in the face of terrorist shelling.”

He called the killing of Abu Akila a “tragedy” that occurred during an incident in which what he called “terrorists” opened heavy fire, stating that “the Israeli army has never deliberately fired on innocents.”

Lapid’s statements were preceded by other statements by Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz in which he criticized American demands, saying that “only the (Israeli) Chief of Staff determines and will continue to give firing instructions according to operational necessity,” according to Jewish newspaper Yediot Ahronot .

On Monday, the Israeli army suggested that Abu Akila was killed by “wrong” fire from one of its soldiers, saying there was no need for a criminal investigation in exchange for Palestinian demands for an independent international investigation.

Abu Akle was a reporter for the Qatari channel Al Jazeera and was killed by the Israeli army on May 11, 2022, and the Palestinian health ministry said at the time that she was shot in the head by the Israeli army while covering the assault on Jenin in the northern West Bank.