Who Was Shirin Abu Akleh? Al Jazeera Says Israel Shot Journalist Dead Deliberately; Tel Aviv Says Palestinians Shot Her

A veteran Al Jazeera journalist was shot dead by Israeli forces in the West Bank on Wednesday. Shirin Abu Akleh was covering an Israeli Army raid in Jenin when she was shot in the head during the operation in a refugee camp.

Another journalist, Ali Samudi, was also shot by Israeli forces but medics have said his condition is stable.

Footage that appeared online shows Akleh, 51, wearing a press vest and helmet while she was being supported by a colleague after being hit by an Israeli bullet.

Israeli forces have conveyed that they were looking for terror suspects in Jenin when they entered the refugee camp.

Israel Says Akleh Was Shot By Palestinians

Israel said terror suspects had fired a large number of bullets and hurled explosive devices as the Israeli military entered the Jenin refugee camp.

Israeli forces claimed that they responded to the suspect's firing and it is believed that the journalist was wounded in Palestinian gunfire.

Al Jazeera said Israeli forces shot the journalist deliberately and "in cold blood". Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett asserted that the reporter was likely killed in Palestinian gunfire.

"The assessment is that she was killed by Israeli gunfire, and witnesses at the scene attest to this as well," an official said, according to The Times of Israel.

Who Was Shirin Abu Akleh?

Akleh, who served as Al-Jazeera's correspondent for Palestine for years, has been a renowned journalist in the region.

She joined the network in 1997 and is described as brave, kind, and a voice of the Palestinians by her followers.

Hanan Ashrawi, a former senior Palestinian politician, tweeted, "Shireen Abu Akleh—a wonderful human being, a remarkable journalist, a dear longtime friend—was shot & murdered by the Israeli occupation army. The heartbreaks. Palestine grieves. Rest in peace & power & love."

Hamas Claims It Was Deliberate Assassination

The Hamas group has claimed that it was a deliberate assassination by Israeli forces against a Palestinian in the region.

In recent weeks tensions have surged in Jenin as Palestinian terrorists have crossed into Israel for terror attacks that have resulted in the death of 19 people since late March.

Israel's military has ramped up a crackdown against the terrorists in the area and killed nearly 30 Palestinians since late March, according to Palestinian officials.