After addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Israeli President Isaac Herzog was questioned on the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh in the city of Jenin two weeks ago.

"This is, of course, a very unfortunate incident, one which pains me and many Israelis," Herzog said. "The incident occurred in the context of a counter-terrorist operation in Jenin, in connection with the murders of a large number of Israeli citizens.

"We, as a country, operate with full transparency," he added, "and we asked the Palestinians to conduct a joint investigation into the circumstances of this tragic case. Unfortunately, the Palestinians refused. They took the body and the bullet, and therefore none of the allegations can be verified."

Herzog stressed that, "Israel has been open and transparent, offering the United States to join the investigation process, because we attach great importance to freedom of speech and the work of journalists and the media and we respect them. There are several possible scenarios here, and there have also been cases in the past where we were accused based on faked evidence and the truth eventually emerged.

"Don't rely on false reports or faked facts," the President exhorted. "Rely only on verified facts. It is very unfortunate that the Palestinians refused to cooperate."