The U.S. State Department strongly condemned the killing of American journalist and Al Jazeera reporter, Shireen Abu Akleh May 11 after she was shot covering an Israeli raid in West Bank, Jenin.
The Israeli military said she was hit by a stray bullet fired by Palestinian soldiers, but Israeli military leaders are now unsure of what exactly happened, the Associated Press reported.
“We are heartbroken by and strongly condemn the killing of American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the West Bank,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a post on Twitter. “The investigation must be immediate and thorough and those responsible must be held accountable. Her death is an affront to media freedom everywhere.”
The broadcaster and two journalists who were with Abu Akleh at the time blamed Israeli forces for her death, the AP reported. Israeli Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi has said that the situation is unclear and an investigation has been launched.
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, promised a thorough and transparent investigation. The head of the Palestinian Forensic Institute, Rayan al-Ali, said the bullet that killed her was deformed, making an accurate ID difficult, according to the AP article.
Abu Akleh was shot in the head while on the outskirts of a refugee camp in Jenin. Other reporters said they made their presence known to Israeli forces. Al Jazeera media claimed this was a deliberate attack, according to the AP article.
The 51-year-old reporter was known for her work with Al Jazeera Arabic covering the Israeli military occupation in Palestine. According to the AP article, there was an outpouring of grief in West Bank over news of her death.
