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4 years on, FBI investigation into Shireen Abu Akleh’s murder stalled

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4 years on, FBI investigation into Shireen Abu Akleh’s murder stalled

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New York, May 7, 2026 — Four years after the Israeli military’s killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, the reported investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into her murder appears to have stalled. It remains unclear whether any eyewitnesses in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories have been formally interviewed, and the FBI — the agency responsible for investigating crimes against U.S. citizens anywhere in the world — has not issued any public update or provided a timeline for completing its investigation.

In a new letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ), which oversees the FBI, and to FBI Director Kash Patel, CPJ urged transparency on the status and timeline for a seemingly languishing investigation into the killing of Abu Akleh, for which no one has been held accountable. The letter notes that investigating crimes against U.S. citizens is in keeping with the Trump administration’s priority to protect Americans anywhere in the world. CPJ today also released a statement from the Abu Akleh family and a video interview highlighting the family’s continued struggle to find justice.

“The killing of Shireen Abu Akleh and the subsequent failure to hold anyone responsible is not an isolated tragedy; it is a symptom of a systematic failure to protect journalists that has now reached a breaking point,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “U.S. authorities cannot abandon Shireen’s case to blatant neglect and signal a disregard for the security of its citizens. The prevailing culture of complete impunity enjoyed by Israel is a direct factor in the continued targeting of journalists without deterrence. Without an independent investigation and real accountability, such attacks will only continue to escalate, emboldening those who seek to silence the truth through violence.”

Abu Akleh, a veteran journalist known to millions across the world, was shot while covering an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operation in the West Bank town of Jenin on May 11, 2022, despite wearing a clearly marked press vest. Although the FBI reportedly opened an investigation into her killing in November 2022, it has made no demonstrable progress more than three years later. At this point, CPJ is not aware that any formal interviews have been conducted with witnesses despite their willingness to cooperate. Moreover, there has been no sign of FBI investigative activity to gather other evidence in Israel or Palestine.

Since Abu Akleh’s killing, Israel has killed at least an additional 258 journalists and media workers across the Middle East, including 207 in Gaza. The Israeli military has now deliberately targeted and killed more journalists than any other government’s military since CPJ began documentation in 1992, and last year was responsible for two-thirds of journalists deaths. 

In the letter to the DOJ and the FBI, CPJ called on the agencies to act on President Donald Trump’s stated priority to protect U.S. citizens and to respond to the Abu Akleh family’s call for justice by:

  • Providing a public update on the status of the investigation and reasons for delay.
  • Committing to a timeline for the FBI to complete a thorough criminal investigation and to publicly release its findings.
  • Ensuring the investigation is impartial and independent, free from political consideration, and consistent with U.S. and international laws.

The Abu Akleh family also issued a public statement today, affirming that they “will not stop” pursuing “justice for Shireen through all available avenues.”

To mark the fourth anniversary of the journalist’s murder, CPJ recently spoke with Abu Akleh’s niece Lina about her family’s continuing fight for justice.

The failure of the FBI to identify the perpetrators or advance a timely criminal prosecution stands in contrast to two major developments on the case in the last year. First, in May 2025, the documentary “Who Killed Shireen?” produced by U.S.-based media company Zeteo, identified an Israeli soldier who they claimed killed her. In October 2025, a U.S. colonel who was involved in a U.S. review of the killing, expressed concern that the United States had diluted its official assessment of her death.

Multiple independent investigations into Abu Akleh’s killing concluded that the veteran reporter – a household name in the Arab world – was shot by an IDF soldier, with some concluding she was deliberately targeted. A United Nations commission also said Israel “intentionally or recklessly” killed her. In September 2022, the IDF released a statement on its internal probe, concluding there was a “high possibility” she was “accidentally” killed by Israeli forces, and declined to open a criminal investigation. In May 2023, IDF Chief Spokesperson Daniel Hagari apologized for her death on CNN.

Since May 2022, CPJ has repeatedly called on the U.S. government to undertake a timely, impartial, and thorough investigation of Abu Akleh’s killing. These efforts include a public letter to former President Joe Biden in June 2022, calling on his administration to thoroughly investigate the killing and hold the perpetrators accountable. CPJ’s “Deadly Pattern” report, released a year after Abu Akleh’s killing, found that at least 20 journalists were killed by Israeli military fire over 22 years, between 2001 and 2022. No one has ever been charged or held responsible for these deaths.

In addition to the inadequate responses by the U.S. and Israeli authorities, the International Criminal Court has also not opened an investigation into the case despite two separate formal complaints by both Al Jazeera and the Abu Akleh family.

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About the Committee to Protect Journalists

The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide. We defend the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.

Media contact: [email protected]

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This article was originally written for the Royal Academy magazine, but did not appear READ MORE

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