The letter, sent to President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray on Thursday was spearheaded by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md).
The 24 senators signing it represented nearly half of the Senate’s Democrats. Signatories included Jewish Senators Bernie Sanders (D-Vt) and Brian Schatz (D-Haw.).
“We believe that, as a leader in the effort to protect the freedom of the press and the safety of journalists, and given the fact that Ms. Abu Akleh was an American citizen, the US government has an obligation to ensure that a comprehensive, impartial, and open investigation into her shooting death is conducted — one in which all parties can have full confidence in the ultimate findings.”
The Palestinian Authority has not allowed Israeli investigators to examine the bullet that killed the journalist and instead demands that Israel instead hand over to Ramallah the IDF guns used that day. The PA also rejected Israel’s offer to conduct a joint probe.