An American journalist working for the Al Jazeera television network was killed by Israeli Defense Forces, according to the network. Shireen Abu Akleh died after being shot in the head during an Israeli counter-terrorism operation in Jenin, a city in the West Bank.
Abu Akleh, 51, a longtime Al Jazeera correspondent and a revered figure on Arab television screens, was shot in the head while covering Israeli raids in the Jenin refugee camp, according to the network and the ministry. She was taken to a hospital before dying from her wounds.
In a statement, Al Jazeera accused Israeli forces of killing Abu Akleh “in cold blood” and said she had been “clearly wearing a press jacket that identifies her as a journalist.” In interviews, multiple eyewitnesses — including two journalists who were standing next to Abu Akleh — disputed Israeli assertions that she was killed during crossfire, saying the area was relatively quiet just before Abu Akleh was shot.
The Washington Post
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett issued a statement that called for an investigation and said “armed Palestinians shot in an inaccurate, indiscriminate and uncontrolled manner.”
“Our forces from the IDF returned fire as accurately, carefully and responsibly as possible. Sadly, Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed in the exchange,” he said. “To uncover the truth, there must be a real investigation, and the Palestinians are currently preventing that. Without a serious investigation, we will not reach the truth.”
But other journalists who were with Abu Akleh said all was quiet at the time of the shooting.
Al Jazeera issued a statement calling Abu Akleh’s death “blatant murder.”
Here’s coverage of the incident from Al Jazeera. Warning. Some of the content is graphic.
