Palestinian health ministry Wednesday said that the Israeli forces have shot dead Al Jazeera’s journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied West Bank.
The ministry said that she was hit by a live bullet while covering Israeli raids in the city of Jenin and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
“She was declared dead at the hospital,” the ministry said.
Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim said that the circumstances of her death were not clear, but videos of the incident show that Abu Akleh was shot in the head.
“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 the city, which is north of the occupied West Bank, when she was hit by a bullet to the head,” Ibrahim said, speaking from the Palestinian city of Ramallah.
“As you can imagine, this is a shock to the journalists who have been working with her.”
Speaking through tears, Ibrahim said Abu Akleh was a “very well respected journalist” who has been working with Al Jazeera since the beginning of the second Palestinian Intifada in 2000.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
“Another Palestinian journalist was also shot by a live bullet in the back,” the health ministry said.
Ali Samoudi, who works for the Jerusalem-based Quds newspaper was reported in stable condition.
Many in Palestine and abroad took to social media to express their shock and grief.
