Gaza City: Four Al Jazeera journalists, including renowned reporter Anas Al Sharif, were killed in an Israeli airstrike near Shifa Hospital in eastern Gaza City on Sunday. According to Gaza officials and Al Jazeera, the journalists were inside a tent when the attack took place, killing five people, including an assistant, and injuring others.
Al Sharif, 28, was widely known for his fearless frontline coverage of the Gaza war. Al Jazeera described him as “one of Gaza’s bravest journalists” and accused Israel of attempting to silence critical voices ahead of its planned offensive in Gaza.
Israel Labels Al Sharif a Hamas Cell Leader
The Israeli military claimed Al Sharif was the head of a Hamas cell, responsible for coordinating rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops. The statement cited “intelligence and documents found in Gaza” as evidence. However, rights advocates and press freedom groups have strongly rejected the claim, stating that Israel has provided no credible proof to back its allegations.
Condemnation from Media Groups and UN Experts
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan had previously warned that Al Sharif’s life was in danger due to his reporting. Khan said last month that Israel’s claims against him were “unsubstantiated,” while CPJ stressed that the pattern of labeling journalists as militants without evidence raises “serious questions about Israel’s respect for press freedom.”
Al Jazeera also issued a strong statement, saying:
“We categorically reject the Israeli occupation forces’ portrayal of our journalists as terrorists and denounce their use of fabricated evidence.”
Final Message from Al Sharif
Before his death, Al Sharif left a message to be shared in case he was killed:
“I never hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or misrepresentation, hoping that God would witness those who remained silent.”
Minutes before the airstrike, he posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Gaza City had been under intense bombardment for more than two hours.
Other Journalists Killed in the Strike
Al Jazeera confirmed that Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, and Mohammed Noufal also died in the attack. These journalists were among the last remaining voices documenting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Rising Death Toll of Journalists in Gaza
The Hamas-run Gaza government media office reported that 237 journalists have been killed since the war began on October 7, 2023. The CPJ’s latest figures list at least 186 journalist deaths in the conflict.
Hamas Reacts
Hamas called the attack on journalists “a prelude to a larger crime” and warned that it may signal the start of a major Israeli offensive in Gaza City. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently reiterated his commitment to dismantle Hamas strongholds in the region, where a worsening hunger crisis has gripped civilians after 22 months of war.
Al Jazeera stated:
“Anas Al Sharif and his colleagues were among the last remaining voices in Gaza conveying the tragic reality to the world.”