JERUSALEM/RAMALLAH, May 11 — Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed in the northern occupied West Bank on Wednesday morning.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement that the reporter was shot while covering an Israeli military raid and died shortly after, adding that another Palestinian reporter was shot in the back during the raid.
The ministry said Israeli troops shot Abu Akleh.
In a statement, the Israeli army said it has launched an investigation into the incident and was looking into the possibility that the journalists were hit by “armed Palestinians.”
The raid triggered clashes with armed residents, and “massive fire was shot toward Israeli forces by tens of armed Palestinian gunmen,” said the statement, adding that the soldiers “responded with fire toward the sources of the fire and explosive devices. Hits were identified.”
Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid tweeted that Israel offered to carry out with the Palestinians “a joint pathological investigation into the sad death” of the journalist.
“Journalists must be protected in conflict zones and we all have a responsibility to get to the truth,” Lapid said.
Israel seized the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war and has maintained control over it ever since, despite international criticism. (Xinhua)
