Following the May 2022 death of Abu Akleh during an Israel Defense Forces raid in Jenin, Gabavics served as chief of staff for the Office of the United States Security Coordinator. His team’s onsite investigation found no evidence of militant gunfire from the journalists' position and confirmed that the shooter had a clear line of sight. Gabavics maintains the evidence left no reasonable doubt that the soldier knew he was firing at members of the press.
US Colonel Alleges State Department Covered Up Journalist's Killing
Retired Army Colonel Steve Gabavics has broken his silence to challenge the official US account of Shireen Abu Akleh’s death. Investigating the 2022 killing for the State Department, Gabavics concluded the Palestinian-American journalist was intentionally targeted, accusing his superiors of suppressing these findings to maintain ties with the Israeli military.
Despite these findings, Gabavics claims his then-superior, Lt. Gen. Michael R. Fenzel, repeatedly scrubbed references to intentionality from official drafts. Gabavics alleges that Fenzel prioritized the account of an Israeli commander over the evidence gathered by his own team, ultimately labeling the death an accident. While Fenzel stands by the integrity of the original report, internal sources suggest the office sought to avoid diplomatic friction with Israel. Following his retirement in January, Gabavics is now calling for a formal inquiry into the handling of the case.
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