Reporter killed during IDF counterterrorism operation: IDF investigating
Israeli forces conducted a counterterrorism operation in the Jenin Refugee Camp early Wednesday morning and encountered massive resistance from the terrorists, including heavy gunfire and the use of explosive charges.
IDF forces in Romaneh. (IDF)
Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh was killed in the fighting, and the IDF has launched an investigation into the incident.
The IDF stated that Israeli security forces conducted counterterrorism activity to apprehend terrorist suspects in the Jenin Refugee Camp. “Tens of Palestinian gunmen fired at and hurled explosive devices toward the soldiers during the activity. The soldiers responded with fire toward the gunmen and hits were identified.”
The IDF said it is investigating the event and “looking into the possibility that journalists were hit by the Palestinian gunmen.”
IDF Spokesperson for Arab Media Avichay Adraee said that Israel had offered the Palestinians to open a joint investigation into the circumstances of Abu Akleh’s death. The offer was turned down.
The Palestinians are blaming Israel for her death, and Al Jazeera has already announced it is holding Israel responsible for Abu Akleh’s death.
Al Jazeera claims she was “hit by a live bullet while covering Israeli raids in the city of Jenin and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. “While “the circumstances of her death were not clear,” Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim said, the headline in Al Jazeera is “Israeli forces shot Shireen Abu Akleh in the head.”
The IDF estimates she was killed by the terrorists’ wild gunfire.
IDF Spokesman Brigadier General Ran Kochav told Kan 11 Radio that “our cautious assessment is that Al-Jazeera’s journalist was hit by Palestinian fire. The reason they are hiding details – there is probably a reason for that.”
Minister of Communications Yoaz Handel told the Israel Hayom daily that the incident is under investigation.
“I suppose the journalist was hit by Palestinian gunfire. The attempt to immediately accuse the IDF stems from an anti-Israel view and not from a truthful investigation,” he said.
There are reports of a video filmed by the terrorists in which they say “we hit a soldier, he is lying on the ground” – but since no IDF soldier was injured in the incident, they may have been the ones who hit the journalist.
An autopsy could determine the calibre of the bullet from which she was killed. The terrorists use Kalashnikov rifles with a larger 7.62-mm calibre, as opposed to the 5.56 mm calibre rounds shot by the IDF’s M-16 rifles.
A government official said that Israel has called for a joint pathological investigation, “but the Palestinians are refusing, perhaps in order to hide the truth.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said: “According to the information we have gathered, it appears likely that armed Palestinians — who were firing indiscriminately at the time — were responsible for the unfortunate death of the journalist.
Palestinians in Jenin were even filmed boasting “We hit a soldier; he’s lying on the ground”.
This morning, in Jenin, terrorists heard saying: “They’ve hit one, they’ve hit a soldier, he’s laying on the ground”
But no IDF soldier was injured in Jenin
Palestinian terrorists, firing indiscriminately, are likely to have hit Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqla pic.twitter.com/nXNbVJrnkC
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 11, 2022
However, no IDF soldier was injured, which increases the possibility that Palestinian terrorists were the ones who shot the journalist.
Israel has called on the Palestinians to conduct a joint pathological analysis and investigation, which would be based on all of the existing documentation and findings, in order to get to the truth. So far, the Palestinians have refused this offer.
IDF forces will continue their counterterrorism operations, in order to end the deadly wave of terror and restore security to the citizens of Israel.”
