Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh killed by Israeli gunfire in West Bank
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Jerusalem: The Palestinian health ministry reported that An Al Jazeera journalist was shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, while another Palestinian journalist was wounded in an Israeli raid in the city of Jenin.
On Wednesday, Shireen Abu Akleh was hit by a live bullet while covering Israeli raids. According to the health ministry and Al Jazeera journalists, she was rushed to the hospital in critical condition but was declared dead at the hospital.
Al Jazeera's Nida Ibrahim said that the circumstances of her death were not clear but videos show that Abu Akleh was shot in the head.
Speaking from the Palestinian city of Ramallah, Ibrahim said, "What we know for now is that the Palestinian Health Ministry has announced her death. Shireen Abu Akleh was covering the events unfolding in Jenin, specifically an Israeli raid in the city, which is north of the occupied West Bank, when she was hit by a bullet to the head".
"As you can imagine, this is a shock to the journalists who have been working with her." Ibrahim said Abu Akleh has been working with Al Jazeera since 2000, the beginning of the second Palestinian Intifada and that she was a "very well respected journalist".
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
According to Al Jazeera reports, the health ministry said that another Palestinian journalist Ali Samoudi was also shot by a live bullet in the back. The Jerusalem-based Quds newspaper journalist was reported to be in stable condition.
Many in Palestine and abroad took to social media to express their shock and grief.
"Israeli occupation forces assassinated our beloved journalist Shireen Abu Akleh while covering their brutality in Jenin this morning. Shireen was a most prominent Palestinian journalist and a close friend," wrote Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Fadi Quran, an activist at the campaign group, Avaaz wrote, "Shireen was a brave, kind and high integrity journalist that I and millions of Palestinians grew up watching".
"Horrified to hear of Israel's killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin! Shireen has boldly covered Israel's aggression in Palestine for over two decades," wrote Huwaida Arraf, a Palestinian-American activist and lawyer.
"In disbelief," wrote Salem Barahmeh, a Palestinian activist. "We grew up to her reporting on the second intifada. She was our voice. Rest in power and peace. Another day, another tragedy."