Aljazeera Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh Shot Dead By Israeli Forces In West Bank

Israeli forces shot Shireen Abu Akleh in the head while she was covering raids in Jenin in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli forces have shot dead Al Jazeera’s journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

Aljazeera Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh

She was struck by a live bullet on Wednesday while covering Israeli raids in the city of Jenin and was quickly taken to the hospital in critical condition, according to the ministry and Al Jazeera journalists. Abu Akleh put on a press vest when she was killed.

According to the ministry, she was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Ali Samoudi, another Al Jazeera journalist, was also injured after being shot in the back. He is now in stable condition and has stated that no Palestinian fighters were present when the journalists were shot, directly contradicting an Israeli statement that alluded to the possibility.

“We were going to film the Israeli army operation and suddenly they shot us without asking us to leave or stop filming.” “The first bullet hit me and the second bullet hit Shireen … there was no Palestinian military resistance at all at the scene,” Samoudi said.

Shatha Hanaysha, a Palestinian journalist who was nearby when Abu Akleh was shot, also told Al Jazeera that there had been no clashes between Palestinian fighters and the Israeli army and that the group of journalists had been targeted.

“We were four journalists, we were all wearing vests, all wearing helmets,” Hanaysha said. “The [Israeli] occupation army did not stop firing even after she collapsed. I couldn’t even extend my arm to pull her because of the shots. The army was adamant on shooting to kill.”

The circumstances surrounding Abu Akleh’s death are unknown, but videos of the incident show that she was shot in the head, according to Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim.

Israeli occupation forces assassinated our beloved journalist Shireen Abu Akleh while covering their brutality in Jenin this morning. Shireen was most prominent Palestinian journalist and a close friend. Now we will hear the “concerns” of the UK govt & the international community pic.twitter.com/M6lKTbceHJ

— Husam Zomlot (@hzomlot) May 11, 2022

“For the time being, we only know that her death has been announced by the Palestinian Health Ministry.” Shireen Abu Akleh was covering events unfolding in Jenin, specifically an Israeli raid on the city, which is located north of the occupied West Bank, when she was hit in the head,” Ibrahim said from Ramallah, the Palestinian capital.

At 6:13 a.m., Shireen Abu Akleh sent an email to Al Jazeera’s Ramallah bureau, writing: “Occupation forces storm Jenin and besiege a house in the Jabriyat neighbourhood.” I’ll bring you updates on the way there as soon as the picture becomes clear.”

Separately, in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry reported that an 18-year-old Palestinian, Thaer Mislet-Yazouri, was shot by Israeli forces near the illegal settlement of Psagot in the town of al-Bireh.