Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh has been shot dead while covering an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin.
The 51-year-old was a Palestinian reporter and a US citizen who died shortly after being shot.
Her colleague and fellow Palestinian journalist, Ali Samoudi, was also shot in the back, but has now been stabilised in hospital, reports PA.
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In a statement flashed on its channel, Al Jazeera called on the international community to 'condemn and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for deliberately targeting and killing our colleague'.
“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.
It is being reported that Israel claim its military forces came under attack from heavy gunfire and explosives while operating in Jenin and opted to fired back.
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The military said it is 'investigating the event and looking into the possibility that the journalists were hit by the Palestinian gunmen'.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said 'there is a considerable chance that armed Palestinians, who fired wildly, were the ones who brought about the journalist’s unfortunate death', ITV reports.
Israel’s foreign minister Yair Lapid also said: “Journalists must be protected in conflict zones and we all have a responsibility to get to the truth.”
The US ambassador to Israel, Tom Nides, tweeted that he was 'very sad' to learn of the journalist's death and called for a 'thorough investigation'.
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The Palestinian Authority say it's a 'shocking crime' allegedly committed by Israeli forces, which is yet to be confirmed.
Ms Abu Akleh started working for Al Jazeera in 1997 and reported on-camera from across the Palestinian territories.
In video footage of the incident, Ms Abu Akleh can be seen wearing a blue flak jacket clearly marked with the word 'Press'.
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Mr Samoudi, who was working as her producer, said all staff were wearing protective gear that clearly marked them as reporters.
He said a first shot missed them, a second hit him, and a third killed Ms Abu Akleh.
He also added that military suggestions that they were shot by militants is a 'complete lie'.
Shaza Hanaysheh, a reporter with a Palestinian news website who was among the reporters, claimed there were no clashes in the immediate area.
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She said: “I reached the tree before Shireen. She fell on the ground.
“The soldiers did not stop shooting even after she fell. Every time I extended my hand to pull Shireen, the soldiers fired at us.”
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Topics: World News
Anish Vij