Sharif condemns Israel's 'assassination' of Al Jazeera journalist

Abu Akleh, 51, a Palestinian-American, was wearing a press vest that clearly marked her as a journalist while reporting in the city of Jenin, the Qatar-based outlet said. The Palestinian health ministry said she had been hit in the head by gunfire.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Al Jazeera described her death as blatant, cold-blooded murder by Israeli forces.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that it had conducted an operation early Wednesday in Jenin refugee camp, a stronghold of armed Palestinian groups in the northern West Bank.

But Israel added its forces came under attack with heavy gunfire and explosives while carrying out attacks in Jenin, and that they fired back. The IDF said it was investigating “and looking into the possibility that the journalists were hit by the Palestinian gunmen.”

Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, in a statement, said that according to information Tel Aviv has gathered so far, "it appears likely that armed Palestinians -- who were firing indiscriminately at the time -- were responsible for the unfortunate death of the journalist."

DELIBERATELY TARGETED

Shatha Hanaysha, a Palestinian journalist who was present next to Abu Akleh when she was shot, also told Al Jazeera that there had been no confrontations between Palestinian fighters and the Israeli army, and said 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.”

A video aired by Al Jazeera shows gunfire ringing out in an open area. Abu Akleh can be seen lying on the side of a road as another journalist crouches nearby and a man screams for an ambulance.

Both reporters were wearing blue flak jackets clearly marked with the word “PRESS.”

The network interrupted its broadcast to announce her death. In a statement flashed on its channel, it called on the international community to “condemn and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for deliberately targeting and killing our colleague.”

[caption id="attachment_187190" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Al Jazeera's Moroccan journalist Abdel Samad Nasser broadcasts a report before an image of his network colleague Shireen Abu Akleh at the Qatar news broadcaster's main headquarters in the capital Doha on May 11, 2022. — Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images[/caption]

“We pledge to prosecute the perpetrators legally, no matter how hard they try to cover up their crime, and bring them to justice,” Al Jazeera said in a statement.

"Very said to learn of the death of American and Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh," Tom Nides, the US ambassador to Israel, wrote on Twitter. "I encourage a thorough investigation into the circumstances of her death and the injury of at least one other journalist today in Jenin."

Very sad to learn of the death of American and Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh of @AJArabic @AJEnglish. I encourage a thorough investigation into the circumstances of her death and the injury of at least one other journalist today in Jenin.

— Ambassador Tom Nides (@USAmbIsrael) May 11, 2022

Tensions have risen in recent months as Israel has grappled with a wave of attacks which killed at least 18 people since March 22, including an Arab-Israeli police officer and two Ukrainians.

The Israeli army has blamed some of the attacks on residents of Jenin and has stepped up operations in the area in recent weeks.

A total of 30 Palestinians and three Israeli Arabs have died during the same period, according to an AFP tally, among them perpetrators of attacks and those killed by Israeli security forces in West Bank operations.