Al Jazeera Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh Shot Dead By Israel In West Bank

Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot dead by Israeli forces on Wednesday in West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry announced.

Al Jazeera said that the Palestinian journalist was covering Israeli raids in the city of Jenin when she was shot in the head. Akleh was rushed to a hospital in critical condition.

Israeli authorities claimed that it had come under heavy firing in Jenin and had fought back. However, Walid al-Omary, Al Jazeera's Ramallah bureau chief said that there had been no shooting carried out by Palestinian gunmen.

Ali Samoudi, a journalist working for Jerusalem-based Quds newspaper was also shot in the back and is in a stable condition.

A well-respected journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh had been working with Al Jazeera since 2000 after the second Palestinian uprising.