AGENCIES: Five Al Jazeera journalists were killed on Sunday in an Israeli airstrike that hit a tent sheltering media personnel in Gaza City. Among them was 28-year-old Anas al-Sharif, a prominent correspondent who had covered the war extensively since its outset.
The other journalists killed were correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh and cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa, according to Al Jazeera. Two additional people were also killed in the strike, including local freelance journalist Mohammed al-Khaldi, hospital officials confirmed.
The attack, widely condemned by the United Nations, the Qatari government (which hosts Al Jazeera), and global press freedom groups, has sparked renewed outrage over the mounting toll on journalists in the Gaza conflict.
The Israeli military claimed that Anas al-Sharif was “the head of a Hamas terrorist cell” and had posed as a journalist to launch attacks on Israeli targets. However, it has released little concrete evidence to support this accusation. Al Jazeera, press freedom advocates, and colleagues of Sharif have categorically rejected the claim.
The BBC reports that while Sharif had previously worked in a Hamas-affiliated media team before the current conflict, he also openly criticized Hamas in some of his recent reporting.
“There is no justification for Sharif’s killing,” said Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), in an interview with the BBC. “International law is clear: only active combatants can be considered legitimate targets in wartime. Even if someone worked as a media adviser for Hamas, that does not make them an active combatant.”
The IDF released screenshots of alleged Hamas documents, including spreadsheets and phone directories, purporting to show Sharif’s military affiliation. These documents have not been independently verified, and critics argue the evidence remains circumstantial.
Anas al-Sharif was widely recognized as one of the last remaining journalists reporting from inside Gaza City. Born in Jabalia, in northern Gaza, Sharif had worked for Al Jazeera for two years. During the war, he remained in the north even after Israeli evacuation orders, continuing to report daily on the suffering of civilians and the destruction caused by Israeli airstrikes.
“He reported on the war relentlessly, often from areas no other reporters would go,” said Salah Negm, Director of News at Al Jazeera English. “He told the story of the people under siege.”
Sharif was separated from his family for much of the war. He leaves behind a wife, a four-year-old daughter named Sham, and a one-year-old son, Salah. A joint Instagram post earlier this year showed Sharif with his children, marking the first time he met his infant son after 15 months of conflict.
His father was killed in an Israeli strike in December 2023. Just hours before his own death, Sharif posted about renewed bombardments in Gaza City.
Mohamed Moawad, Al Jazeera’s managing editor, called Sharif “the only voice left in Gaza City.” Raed Fakih, who oversees the broadcaster’s Arabic-language correspondents, described him as “courageous, dedicated, and honest.”
“He suffered the same famine, pain, and grief as the people he covered,” said Fakih. “He had lost his father. He lived through hunger. And yet, he kept telling the story.”
Mohammed Qreiqeh, 33, another Al Jazeera correspondent killed in the strike, was also a father of two. He had been separated from his family for months, continuing to report from the front lines in northern Gaza. His final live broadcast came just minutes before the airstrike.
The Israeli military has previously denied targeting journalists. However, media freedom groups like Reporters Without Borders (RSF) say there is a growing pattern of pretextual accusations used to justify deadly attacks on the press.
“Israel has a history of accusing journalists of militancy before targeting them,” said RSF, citing the 2022 killing of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied West Bank. Israel eventually admitted that one of its soldiers likely fired the fatal shot, but claimed the killing was unintentional — a finding Al Jazeera disputes.
“Had Israel been held accountable for Shireen’s assassination,” said Fakih, “it would not have dared to kill 200 journalists in Gaza.”
Sharif appeared to anticipate the risk he faced. In July, an Israeli military spokesman posted a video identifying him as a member of Hamas’ armed wing. Following this, Sharif reportedly prepared a farewell message, which was published on his X (formerly Twitter) account after his death.
“I gave every effort and all my strength to be a support and a voice for my people,” the post read. “Do not forget Gaza.”
According to RSF, nearly 200 journalists have been killed since Israel launched its war on Gaza following the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. The organization continues to call for an international investigation into what it describes as a “systematic pattern of extrajudicial killings” of media workers.
