Featured Image Credit: Al Jazeera
Topics: World News
Daisy Phillipson
A journalist has been shot and killed while covering an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry has confirmed.
Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, who was working for Al Jazeera, was shot in the head early this morning (11 May) before being rushed to hospital in critical condition where she was pronounced dead.
The well-known Palestinian reporter had been covering an Israeli army raid of the northern town of Jenin, which has become a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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A second Palestinian journalist, Ali al-Samudi, was wounded in the attack but is in a stable condition.
Al Jazeera condemned the death of its veteran correspondent, who was said to have been wearing a press vest and helmet at the time of the shooting.
The Qatar-based media network said in a statement: "In a blatant murder, violating international laws and norms, the Israeli occupation forces assassinated in cold blood Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Palestine, Shireen Abu Akleh, targeting her with live fire early this morning, Wednesday, May 11, 2022."
They added that Akleh was 'conducting her journalistic duty' and was 'clearly wearing a press jacket that identified her a journalist' as she covered the storming of Jenin.
The statement continues: "Al Jazeera holds the Israeli government and the occupation forces responsible for the killing of Shireen.
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"It also calls on the international community to condemn and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for their intentional targeting and killing of Shireen.
"The Israeli authorities are also responsible for the targeting of Al Jazeera producer Ali al-Samudi, who was also shot in the back while covering the same event, and he is currently undergoing treatment.
"Al Jazeera extends its sincere condolences to the family of Shireen in Palestine, and to her extended family around the world, and we pledge to prosecute the perpetrators legally, no matter how hard they try to cover up their crime, and bring them to justice."
Disputing these claims, Israel Defense Forces said its troops were attacked with gunfire and explosives while operating in Jenin, writing on Twitter: "In the last few hours, IDF and Israeli security forces conducted counterterrorism activity to apprehend terrorist suspects in the Jenin Refugee Camp.
"During the activity, tens of Palestinian gunmen fired at and hurled explosive devices toward the soldiers.
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"The soldiers responded with fire toward the gunmen and hits were identified.
"The IDF is investigating the event and looking into the possibility that journalists were hit by the Palestinian gunmen."
Al-Samudi, however, spoke from hospital, and said the Israeli forces were to blame, stating (via The Guardian): “We were there to cover the events in Jenin camp.
"All of a sudden [the Israelis] opened fire at us, they didn’t ask us to leave or stop. The first bullet hit me, the second one hit Shireen...
"There were no resistance fighters around us. If there were, we wouldn’t have been in that area."