Israel: Al Jazeera reporter killed in military operation in West Bank

Enlarge image

Journalists and paramedics at Jenin Hospital roll the body of Shireen Abu Akleh into the morgue

Photo: Majdi Mohammed / dpa

Violent clashes have broken out between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians in the northern West Bank.

A journalist from the Arabic news channel Al Jazeera was killed.

The reporter from the Qatari broadcaster, who is well-known in the Arab world, died after being shot in the head, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said.

Another journalist from the Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds was shot and wounded in the incident in Jenin.

There is conflicting information about the origin of the fatal shot.

The Palestinian side blames Israeli soldiers.

The Israeli army wrote on Twitter that soldiers had been deployed in Jenin to arrest terrorist suspects.

Suspects shot the troops massively and threw explosives.

The soldiers fired back and hits were identified.

"It is investigating the possibility that journalists were hit, possibly by armed Palestinians," it said.

The incident will be investigated.

Journalist Nida Ibrahim was also there for Al Jazeera.

The circumstances of Abu Akleh's death are unclear, she said, according to the broadcaster.

"What we know now is that the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced her death," she said.

A bullet hit the reporter in the head.

"This is a shock for all journalists who work here," Ibrahim is quoted as saying.

Al Jazeera accuses Israel of murder

Al Jazeera has made serious allegations accusing the Israeli military of murder.

In violation of international law, "the Israeli occupying forces murdered our correspondent in Palestine, Shirin Abu Akle, in cold blood and with live ammunition this morning," the broadcaster said.

He condemned the reporter's death as "a heinous crime aimed at preventing the media from reporting."

The broadcaster called on the international community to hold the Israeli military accountable.

A wave of terror has killed 17 people in Israel since the end of March, and an Israeli security guard in the West Bank was also shot dead by Palestinians.

Israel's army has increased its operations in the occupied West Bank since the start of the wave of attacks.

Especially in the area of ​​the city of Jenin, which is considered a stronghold of militant Palestinians, such military operations repeatedly lead to serious confrontations with residents.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 20 Palestinians have been killed since the end of March.

Several Palestinians have been killed in military operations, but also in their own attacks and clashes with the army.

Israel conquered the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967.

The Palestinians, on the other hand, want the areas for a separate state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as the capital.

asc/dpa/Reuters