Al-Jashira revises count of staff deaths in Gaza conflict
In the Gaza Strip, an Israeli airstrike took place two days ago, resulting in the death of Al-Jazeera's correspondent Anas al-Sharif and five other individuals. The Israeli military has not commented on the other victims of the attack.
Al-Jazeera's correspondent, Anas al-Sharif, was reportedly posing as an Al-Jazeera journalist at the time of the attack. Israel's military has confirmed the death of Al-Sharif, but has not provided evidence to support their claim that he was a member of Hamas or a terrorist.
Al-Sharif's death has been internationally criticized, with the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, Irene Khan, condemning the unfounded accusations and threats against him. Khan highlighted that these actions endanger journalists' lives and amount to an attempt to stop their eyewitness reporting on the conflict in Gaza.
Reports suggest that al-Sharif was targeted while he was with five other journalists in a tent for journalists in the northern Gaza city. The Israeli military has not explained why they targeted al-Sharif while he was with other journalists.
Al-Jazeera has revised the number of its employees killed in the attack from five to three. Reporters Without Borders reports a total of six journalists were killed in the attack.
The Israeli military claims to have intelligence information and documents found in the Gaza Strip that prove al-Sharif's military affiliation with Hamas. However, these claims have not been confirmed in this report.
This targeting of journalists in Gaza is part of a broader pattern where Israeli forces have threatened, obstructed, and even killed journalists, undermining independent media coverage of the war and humanitarian crisis there. Human rights experts confirm that these actions constitute violations of international law, including the laws protecting journalists in armed conflict.
The Israeli military's actions are seen as an attempt to control the narrative and limit international awareness of the humanitarian impact of the conflict, as journalists like al-Sharif provide critical independent coverage that challenges Israel’s official portrayal of operations in Gaza.
Sources:
[1] Amnesty International. (2021). Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories: Attack on Al-Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif is a blatant attack on media freedom. [online] Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/05/israeloccupied-palestinian-territories-attack-on-al-jazeera-journalist-anas-al-sharif-is-a-blatant-attack-on-media-freedom/
[2] Human Rights Watch. (2021). Israel: Attack on Al-Jazeera Journalist May Amount to War Crime. [online] Available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/05/18/israel-attack-al-jazeera-journalist-may-amount-war-crime
[3] Reporters Without Borders. (2021). Israel/Gaza Strip: Attack on Al-Jazeera journalists is a war crime. [online] Available at: https://rsf.org/en/news/israelgaza-strip-attack-al-jazeera-journalists-is-a-war-crime
