Ramallah, May 11 (IANS) Shireen Abu Akleh, a journalist with the Qatar-based Al Jazeera broadcaster, was killed in the West Bank on Wednesday amid an Israeli raid.

Taking to Twitter, the broadcaster said: 'Israeli forces have shot and killed veteran Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied West Bank.'

The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement that the reporter was shot while covering the Israeli military raid and died shortly after, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Ministry also claimed that another Palestinian reporter was shot.

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 the Jewish state 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.

--IANS

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