JUST IN: Isreali Forces gun down journalist

Veteran Al- Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleeh has been shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday.

The 51year old woman who was covering an Israeli military raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the northern town, a stronghold of the Palestine,where she was shot by a single bullet in the face, despite putting on a press vest and an helmet.

Another Palestinian journalist, Ali al-Samoudi, was also shot in the back but now in a stable condition

Al Jazeera in a statement, accused the Israeli forces for killing Abu Akleh in cold blood and call on the International community to hold the Israeli forces responsible.

Ali al-Samoudi, the Al Jazeera journalist who was also shot by Israeli forces next to Abu Akleh but now in stable condition, said there was no Palestinian armed fighters at the scene.
“We were going to film the Israeli army raid, and suddenly they shot us without asking us to leave or stop filming,” he said.

Shatha Hanaysha, a journalist for Quds News Network who witnessed the incident, Added that: “I could have been directly shot too. Even after she fell to the ground the fire did not stop and none of us were able to reach her. A guy was finally able to reach us; he helped me and started pulling her.

The Israeli army confirmed that they had conducted an operation early Wednesday in Jenin refugee camp, but denied that it had deliberately targeted journalists.

An Israeli military statement said its troops had shot back after coming under “massive fire” in Jenin and that “there is a possibility, now being looked into, that reporters were hit – possibly by shots fired by Palestinian gunmen”.

The Palestinian health ministry confirmed Abu Akleh’s death and said a second reporter, the Al Jazeera producer Ali Samodi, was wounded.

Three Arab-Israelis and 28 Palestinians were killed, among them Abu Akleh, an unarmed woman and two bystanders, as well as the perpetrators of attacks and Palestinian gunmen fighting with Israeli forces during the raids.

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