her, the germans, who are on the scene, had indicated that there was no palestinian resistance there. that they made themselves very clear to the israeli army. and despite the making themselves very clear to the israeli army, that they were not only targeted but then unable to go and provide her with 1st a. this is what we know. the fact that we have to continue to question what we've seen has been a long pattern of behavior is quite frankly disgusting. and i would really love to see the world stand up and report on shitty and jeff, just in the same way that their doubts will $11.00 day be reported. or that way they would like their deaths to be reported because this was a journalist with integrity with passion, who had been in very difficult situations for all of her journals. life. she been a person who covered the, the massacre that occurred in gene 20 years ago. she was a person who was in gaza, who covered is really crimes there. this is a person who knew exactly how to behave and who was very much loved by all house in there. the your suggestion,

that would be anybody but is really that would kill her is quite frankly reprehensible and disgusting. it is 9 o'clock g m t. a veteran al desert journalist has been killed by israeli forces in the occupied westbank serene. our club was shot in the face were covering an israeli raid in the city of jolene. houser. immediate network has called it a blatant murder, violating international laws and norms. rhetoric, i can be as report. oh, the body of serene abil. eichler is carried through the town of janine in the occupied westbank. the veteran al jazeera reporter was shot dead while covering a raid by israeli forces. another journalist was also short and injured. the palestinian health ministry says they were hit by bullets fired by israeli soldiers put them over until we made ourselves clear to the army on the passers by indicating that we are the press than within seconds. there was the 4th chapter. i told him that we are being targeted,

we are being shot off. i turned and found serene on the ground through these rainy military says its forces came under attack in janine, and that they fired back. there was no exchange of fire, so there is no possibility whatsoever. understand you're not the city, not wildly. the israeli army always uses these excuses to cover up the crimes they are committing against palestinians including palestinian generals. israeli raids in the occupied west bank have intensified in recent weeks after a series of attacks inside israel. the janine refugee camp is become a strong hold for resistance against the israeli occupation. sharina butler had worked for al jazeera for 20 years. colleagues described her as brave kind and a voice of palestinians. oh, i'm sure there'll be lots of calls from around the world. we got a lot of support from human rights organizations. i'm governments ah, who will be looking at what happened here and on why

a journalist has been shot that, ah journalists, you know, killing journalists, shooting the messenger, is equivalent to a war crime. and so we need to know what has happened. the world needs to know what some cat o's foreign ministry put out. a tweet saying, the israeli occupation killed al jazeera journalist, sharina blackledge by shooting her in the face while wearing the press best and a helmet. she was covering their attack, and janine refugee camp. this state sponsored is really terrorism must stop and unconditional support to israel must end. israel says it's launched an investigation into what happened. it says it does not target journalists, but some human rights activists say they have little faith in these really just a system that i am human rights organizations, for example, like bit settling and it's really human rights organizations. and that decided a long time ago that they are no longer going to even interact with the complaint

system or with invisible eli army. or because it is not serious, it doesn't find, is there a disorders guilty? yeah, belmont, off him wirelessly thought the al jazeera is calling for a transparent investigation into the death of sharina blackledge. few palestinians thing that's likely to happen, victoria gate and be algae 0. will out 0. media network has put out a statement, offering its condolences, and it said in a blatant murder, violating international laws and norms. israeli occupation forces assassinated in cold blood al deserves correspondent alger. a media network condemns as heinous crime which intends to only prevent the media from conducting their duty out there a holds the israeli government and the occupation forces responsible for the killing of our late colleagues sharing. it also calls on the international community to condemn and hold the israeli occupation forces accountable. this does take you over the right to our al jazeera arabic newsroom. just

a couple 100 meters aside from where i am now. these are all out there. arabic colleagues and others as showing their support for as sri i will actually who was shot while covering in israeli raid on the jenin refugee camp as she's a rebels, a respected and popular journalist, you can see the sadness amongst her colleagues, her holding pictures of sherry not but we've seen similar scenes in garza and they'll be more around the world as journalists, ag gather to mark the news. so colleagues, i just remembering at their colleague and friend, the distinguished journalist, sri in atlanta who has been killed doing her job let's bring a need abraham, who's live in ramallah, in the occupied west bank at nida. you are a close colleague of sharina. it must be very hard to digest his news. just tell us what the mood, sir. danny,

i can say that we are speechless. but sometimes we have to talk because this is latrina would have wanted us to do to keep telling the story of palestinian joe lender who offended the cotton the story while they are reporting. so as if you see here, people have gather journalists are there. but the question the government spokesperson, everyone has come to lay their candle an untruth. and that tells you anything. it tells you how much people have loved her. they believe that they are under attack to need it. you're a palestinian journalist, you know the story extremely well just like sharina did tell us all. yeah. some the difficulties, some of the challenges that you face to lift and tell him story. personally work with her. they have learned to her,

they have watched her cover stories. they believe that she is an experienced journalist, someone who was very close to the people she focused on the human element of the story says she would sift with people. she would tell us about her stories with children, how she would talk to them and try to convey and get their emotions to them to the world. then this is why boston over here feel that she has been killed and being targeted for doing her work. which is telling the truth. indeed does it give us an idea of just how popular and how respected and how prominent sharin was i think we have difficulties with our connection there with, with nita in for him. let's move on for now. that's the situation remodel will get back to neater as the hours progress. now,

another journalist was injured at the scene, but as in stable condition, he was asked about what took place while in hospital or we were going to filmed is really army operation. and suddenly they shot us without asking us to leave or stop filming. the 1st bullet hit me, and the 2nd bullet had sharin. they killed her in cold blood because they are killers and specialize and killing only palestinian people. so they claim that some palestinian militants were there, we had no resistance and there was no palestinian military resistance at all at the scene. what we spoke on the phone to nora day who's a former colleague of charades and she spoke of her, her kindness and humanity. shitty and distinguished journalist and friend and colleague to everybody. and everybody in palestine who's worked with her other been touched by her humanity to i've known shooting for over 20 years. i was proud to work alongside her of the

colleague when i was reporting for under the english. and she was a standard stepping journalist in her integrity in her professionalism. and her relation will tell, calling him the kind of guidance she was always willing to give to up and coming journalists to students of journalism. her amicable relations with everybody from all walks of life with all sorts of you know, politicians and figures. she was an independent journalist. she knew that she was always the side of the story. actually, her job was to be the voice of the people and to tell the truth about any exaggeration without any embellishment. and she was an icon

and a distinguished fellow journalist showed him as a household name and thoughtless time. i can tell you without hesitation, but there isn't a house now in palestine and beyond. that is not morning for the last. that does not remember her. not remember the many, many stories that she covered, the many truth she uncovered. and so her, the news of her, of her killing was like a thunderbolt to all of us who woke up to be to this, cleared the sight of dozens and dozens of ordinary people. and journalists too, came from everywhere around janine to her farewell and more in her as she deserves to be more and is just an indication of the kind of person that she. 5 the kind of journalist that she was she,

she touched the lives of many, many palestinians. she covered the most important stories in palestine for over 24 years. so there isn't, there is a family or household year that does not know her. let us cross to west or islam. now stephanie decker, cross one standing by for steph. tell us more. first of all, about what the israeli government has been saying? well, the most recent statement issued by the prime minister, naturally bennett. and he specifically was it said he was up because president who the bass, the police palestinian present in line with al jazeera statement and cutter statement, accusing these rating security forces of killing sharing. and basically, naturally bennett saying that according to preliminary information that these really have. and this is also in line with the army statement which was issued soon after the news came out and that they said,

maybe it was palestinian gunmen that fired on the journalist again. nick, you know, according to assure your colleagues on the ground, our colleagues and also other journalists with her are they under no uncertain terms saying that they were targeted by israeli snipers at these rady army on the ground as they were in the middle of, of, of a raid in the g need refugee camp, so we're gonna have to wait and cedar calls for a proper investigation. this is now a very high profile situation. now you've had reactions, not just obviously from the palestinians, from the israelis, but you know, cutters condemned it. she had the u. s. ambassador here, quoting for international and for an independent investigation. you've had the u. s . special envoy to the middle east peace process condemning it, and quoting for investigation of british ambassador. so there is a massive spotlight now on this neck. so this is what we had,

it happened around between 6 and 7 o'clock in the morning. the team was getting ready. they'd been sleeping in janine covering the ongoing raids. it's been a hot spot if you will, for the last month and a half or so. these raids are very common place. it had been more times certainly the last couple of weeks. but you know that what we saw this morning, one of the sort of more to say, usual raise if you will, that these really are me, has been carrying out on this refugee camp. it's different sharing killed for doing her job a job that is becoming more, more challenging in the region you're in. yes, i think you know, the immunity of the press is something that a, it no longer exists. you know, we often, you know, you put on a press vast, you put on a flak jacket and it says press. but often you are targeted specifically because you're a journalist because, but you know,

people don't want you to witness. people don't want you in the area, you know, here these ready forces have often been accused by human rights organizations, international organizations, if using excessive force of targeting, actively targeting a journalist. so this is not the 1st time nick. this is a very high profile case. i've covered funerals and deaths of journalists, one particular comes to mind in gaza during the border protests. he was shot and after investigation from the palestine inside. it seemed it also by one major newspaper that it seemed that he was shot dead by israeli forces. there was no accountability, there was certainly not the outcry that there is now on into international diplomatic level because he was simply a local palestinian journalist that was working for a local television station. so this is a reality that journalists here face. it may not end in death, but it can be, you know, a maimed to targeted, injured. this happens a lot because you do have

a lot of, you know, whether it's raised in the occupied west bank, whether it's protest, home, demolitions, in the way the upper, the security forces deal here with, you know, protests or anything like this is often using, you know, dispersal methods like tear gas done, grenade lie, fire, and they call them sponge bullets. but even these are hit at a very high force and can cause severe injury. so as journalists there is no immunity, there is no putting on a press jacket going. okay, we're going to be fine. we're going to be safe. we could just focus on doing our jobs. we have to focus yes on getting the story, but at the same time, be very aware of our surroundings. because things can change all the time, particularly in a place like the janine refugee camp, where you have armed men as well, so it can get incredibly tense. alright, steph, thanks for that. update will be back with you as the hours go on. thanks very much . and he's the deck of the well, a veteran now does or a journalist, serene aqua, has been killed by his ready forces in the occupied west bank. here's what we know

. so far, serene was reporting on israeli raids and janine in the occupied westbank. they have been daily rates there after a series of deadly attacks inside israel. we shot in the head despite wearing her press that was declared dead crowds who carried her body from the hospital, through the streets of janine, in a procession to honor her details, moments about a funeral or unclear. okay, let's speak now to barbara 3 on fi, who's the executive director of the international press institute. barbara festival that your reaction to decide is it has been a terrible news that we received this morning. and we are very, very patent about the killing off sharing. unfortunately, it also comes at the time when we have seen an increase in the killing of journalists around the world expect precisely d. c. and where we have seen increasing attacks against the price in a,

in the west bank and gaza. so again, it's quite a thing and journalists in particular, so this we are of course, as, as the year. and we are also following the news and pushing, we're putting out the statement very soon calling for an independent investigation into this case is very important to understand whether sharina has been targeted. unfortunately, the what the information we have received so far appears that it could be the case which obviously would be a very serious crime. however, the most important thing and now is that there is an independent investigation into this case. and we know how hard it will be to get there in data. that's the thing, is that because when these crimes happen, given the kind of places that they happen in, particularly in this case, the investigations often lead to nothing. yeah,

absolutely. need to nothing. there is no investigation whatsoever to start with. and very often, even in many cases, we have seen the jordan cms helping forces to try and carry out the investigation, putting their risk their lives at risk, even more and their safety rates even more for trying to investigate the cases of the attacks against their colleagues. but nevertheless, he's key to make sure that you know, there is a principle which is core to join me core to coverage of any conflict, any crisis which is join a list cannot be targeted that's, that's a war crime. so that is the principle that we need to fight to the front. and we cannot compromise on this. so definitely i will use all you know, reach and internet chat like the reach to international organizations and member to ensure that there is near investigation and understand who, who is behind the killing and whether it was the target,

the killing. unfortunately, it seems that you know, there was no confrontation between policy and pipe as i need to re, re the army at that moment in that spot. so it seems that a group of jauntily has been targeted. however, as you, as you know, the facts are still unfolding, so we need to understand, but kind, anything will be done, we say be, are off to, yet we that more that needs to be more emphasis on making things easier and safer, safer for journalists work in these kind of areas to protect journalists, but around the world, these kind of crimes are just increasing. yes, yes, and no, yes. and no, i mean there, there has been indeed a lot of attention to killing internationally over the past years. but in, in general, it has been, again, become harder to kill a journalist, you know, government. while they still find many other ways to silence journalists,

the they are more likely to be in the, in the international fall night if a journalist is being killed, the read definitely something that has to be, are in with us. you know, the un plan of action on takes a joint and various other international efforts toward the point, the finger to those who killed jonathan, ensure that there is just for the jointly being killed. nevertheless, as you say, this continues to happen and never been less in the wild than with seen that the killers have gone down a note in recent years, dose, the attacks against journalist and the murder in particular are still there is still complete, almost complete. impunity in most cases is some commentators we've had on with this this morning have pointed the finger at the international community saying, well that you know, they just haven't done enough. they've just been completely lacks in their approach this i, i fully agree with that. i would,

unfortunately there is for how much i p i and many other organization we have been doing to put pressure on on, on this type on government, even government that are definitely friendly to press freedom. government been do appreciate the fact that the kidney that killing journalist cannot be tolerate that even the year the diplomacy has not been effective in ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to justice. so that, that you know, that during the side that there is no impunity for the perpetrates of crimes against georgia. this is true for the georgia war, killed, you know, in non conflict in non conflict situations. we've just seen the posse of a 3 jordan, it's been killed in mexico in less than a week. and this is very true, unfortunately, also for journalists like to read or killed in a crisis area in

a conflict situation. barbara, i do appreciate you talking to barbara 3 on see who's executive director of the international presence. 2, thanks and can well, johnny, now in the studio and south america, he's the founding director at the center for conflict and humanitarian studies at the institute at salton welcome to the program. thank 1st up. how hopeful or not are you that a full thorough, clear, transparent investigation will take place? crime mean the track record and the history tells us that it's once and as you know, israel has committed such violations for a long period of time. and in fact, on average journalist, the journalist syndicates in palestine records something between 700 to a 1000 incidents that range from electronic attack all the way to physical targeting, to journalists detention blocking their way to all of these are violations against

the ability of journals to do the work and this incident is go totally and questioned to the extent that i feel that is right now, i feel that they have total impunity to do whatever they like. and if the state feels, this feeling must filter down to the level of individual soldiers who take absolutely no extra caution when dealing with, with civilians as a whole. and in this case, with journalists in particular, and these, these crimes, they go unquestioned because the government knows they can get away with not conducting a thorough investigation or sometimes an investigation at all. because they, they wouldn't face any criticism from, you know, their lives, like the united states. i think that's partly one of the reasons. but also i think that there is, there's a culture which is inherited and seems to be growing amongst the israelis in general. and there's really army in particular that killing palestinian

is somehow fine. it's not exactly as killing any other human being. and in fact, only in april, last april. there was a case brought to the i c. c, the national criminal court in relation to killing to a journalist and also hitting 2 in there. i over the last 3 or 4 years in palestine and it took a long, long time for that case to be brought to the i c c. and then to be accepted by the prosecutor as a case to look into, i think is ro, unlike any other country, gets away with it. partly because of its stronger relationship with united states. and partly because of its very strong influence in the media to national media and its ability often to spin the story around palestinian terrorists. crossfire people go to court in the crossfire and so on, which in this case i think we very, very difficult job to do it because it was daylight. there were

a group of 4 journalists, not one single generalist, who was walking around and on. they were all dressed appropriately and within the standard, quite of them as a press and they were not embedded amongst the palestinian fighters. they were reporting one on incidence. so i think this time it may be an important moment to call israel to account. right. and it's really in the interest of freedom of journalism to do so, given that a given the eye witness accounts, given the prominence of serene and how well known she was in the area. do you have any hope that that actually might be the case that it will kind of force is really government into a corner to, to burn up to this. i think if anything it will lend more when to the case that just now on the desk of i c c. and it will focus the minds above the need to do something about us. right. but tell us more about that. this. this case is, is

a relation to, for journalists who were hurts back to were killed and to or hurt badly between 920152019. so it took a long time for the case to be built. and i think this will probably give it greater owns in terms of discussion. but, you know, look at the last war and the targeted the tower building that's hosted jazeera office and the associated press and they seem to get away with it as well. there was kind of explanation attempt, but they were never brought to justice properly. and i think this is really critical. it's important also because of what is witnessed by journalist on the world. israel is measuring yard for what states and groups can get away with. and if these are not treated properly, then you'd expect more and more journalists to be targeted and globally. ok. when

you 1st heard the news, well, what was your thinking when you, when you woke up this morning and the fact that sharing had been killed while the 1st reaction was really horrified because sharina is become a household name for all our apps who watch the news whether we like it or not, our listing and uses is almost daily the occupation, the reporting on abuses and so on. and sharina has become almost like a family member to all those who watch just 0. so it was, it was really a feeling of horror. and sadness to lose somebody who is so competent, someone who was brought up within the conflict. she's not a 3rd party journalist who comes in this disengaged or disassociated from the issues. and she, she knew very well what she, what the situation was. and she's been through a lot of difficult situations, including major ed, bums bombing, et cetera. and she,

she survived it so to see her being killed. the way the film shows now is, is particularly sad. and given that prominence and given how well known she was on the street, what, what do you think might come to this? what kind of reactions you think there will be? so you're not just the most journalist and lawyers and so forth, but in the wider community. while i hope that to just start with out of states will follow the lead of an issue of a strong contamination and not to say, oh, but just because i just the right is katara than the authorities. it has to be a united front and as well as from european countries under 9 states. it's those voices that would make a difference. and given the situation we're living in now with ukraine and the various exposures of double standards, if you like, when it comes to the value of human being. this is a case where the world must focus on, on palestinians,

and senior women. i mean, the fact that she is a woman journalist i think, should also be a cold for us to, to try and do something about it. indeed indeed, well said, alright, sultan, we'll leave it there for the man. thanks very much indeed to speak to us here. doctor sultan backup. thanks very much indeed. all right, well let's speak now to able to him at mill him. it is johnny's for remotely. he's a government spokesman for the palestinian authority. first of all said, what's your reaction to the late news? the abraham abraham mill, him, i'm hoping you can hear me now. we'll try one more time. judging by the fact that he is shake his head, i would say that he can't hear us. i will try and re establish that connection. and in the meantime, we'll give toby cabman go, who's an international human rights law, join just now from banjo in the gambia. let me ask you the same question. first of

all, in this day, toby, what did you think when you heard the news? a good morning. i think it was terrible. please, shocking screen has been seen has been one of the most important journalists in the region for some time. so i work up this morning to the news and just the shop. you are an international human rights law. you know, the law obviously very well about these kind of cases. how hopeful are you that said they would be at any, do you justice done here? well, i think as, as your previous guest was saying, so there was a, there was a communication was article 15 communication filed with the i c. c recently in relation to 4 other jealous who would talk to this would of course add weight to that. we certainly hope that they will add this to.