Veteran journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and killed while reporting on an Israeli army raid in the Israeli-occupied West Bank for Al Jazeera, the TV network reported on Wednesday. Al Jazeera says an Israeli force killed Abu Akleh; the Israeli military says it believes she was hit by Palestinian gunfire.
Abu Akleh, a 51-year-old U.S. citizen, had been covering a military raid on the Jenin refugee camp "when she was shot in the face by a single bullet, despite wearing a press vest," Al Jazeera said. It said the TV correspondent had been "assassinated in cold blood" after she was targeted by the Israeli forces.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett issued a statement saying, "According to the information we have gathered, it appears likely that armed Palestinians — who were firing indiscriminately at the time — were responsible for the unfortunate death of the journalist."
