TV Correspondent Shot Dead While Covering Israeli Army Raids, UN, US React

A long-time TV reporter covering the Israeli army raids was reportedly shot dead on Wednesday, May 11.

She was identified as Shireen Abu Akleh who was covering the Israeli army raids in the city of Jenin in the West Bank at the time according to the Palestinian health ministry, Al Jazeera reported.

Abu Akleh was rushed to a hospital in Jenin in critical condition after getting shot. However, she was declared dead shortly after 7:15 a.m. The head of the medicine department at al-Najah University in Nablus confirmed that Abu Akleh was shot in the head.

Before she was shot, Abu Akleh was wearing a press vest and standing alongside other journalists. Another journalist from Al Jazeera, Ali al-Samoudi, was also wounded after getting shot in the back. However, he is now in stable condition.

According to al-Samoudi and other journalists, there were no Palestinian fighters at the scene when the shooting occurred.

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

With no confrontations at the time between Palestinian fighters and the Israeli army, reporters believe that they were being targeted at the time.

“We were four journalists, we were all wearing vests, all wearing helmets,” Shatha Hanaysha, a local journalist 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 being fired. The army was adamant on shooting to kill.”

US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield called the death of Abu Akleh horrifying and called for an investigation. She added that protecting American citizens and journalists was their highest priority.

“We must ensure journalists performing critical work amidst conflict are protected, and we call for an immediate and thorough investigation into this tragedy,” Thomas-Greenfield posted on Twitter.

This was echoed by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Niles, saying he was said to learn about the journalist’s death.

“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,” he tweeted.