Conflict between Israel and Palestine remembered: Murdered journalists Anas and Mohammed honored as inspirations
Israeli Drone Strike Kills Two Palestinian Journalists in Gaza
Two Palestinian journalists, Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, lost their lives in a drone strike by Israel's military on Sunday evening. The journalists were working as correspondents for Al Jazeera Arabic in Gaza, where they had spent the past 22 months documenting the ongoing conflict and its impact on their community.
Al-Sharif and Qreiqeh were born and raised under Israeli occupation, and their work was not without risk. Some in Gaza were hesitant to give al-Sharif interviews out of fear of being killed due to his coverage of the Israeli occupation in Gaza. Al-Sharif himself knew his life was in danger, having been threatened by Israeli authorities.
The journalists were mentally and physically exhausted leading up to their deaths. Qreiqeh had even continued to work with al-Sharif, despite the risks. This tragic loss deeply affects the Palestinian journalism community, undermining press freedom and raising serious concerns about respect for international humanitarian law in conflict zones.
Al-Sharif and Qreiqeh were known for their reporting on the Israeli military campaign that began on October 7, 2023. Human rights groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), note that Israel often brands Palestinian journalists as "terrorists" without providing proof.
Israel has imposed a full land, sea, and air blockade over Gaza, effectively turning it into what human rights groups describe as an open-air prison. This blockade, coupled with the repeated killings of journalists, has a chilling effect on press freedom and the ability of Palestinian media to report freely and safely.
The death toll of journalists in Gaza is alarming. Since October 2023, UNESCO reported at least 62 journalists and media workers killed in the line of duty in Palestine, with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reporting at least 242 Palestinian journalists killed in the same time frame.
UNESCO's chief, Ms. Azoulay, condemned the killing of journalists as unacceptable and stated such attacks violate international laws protecting journalists under UN Security Council Resolution 2222 (2015), which mandates protection of journalists in conflict situations.
This loss is not just a tragedy for the families of al-Sharif and Qreiqeh, but for the entire Palestinian journalism community and for press freedom worldwide. Yaser al-Banna, a Palestinian journalist in Gaza, said that when Israel ordered the entire population of 2.2 million Palestinians to flee south, al-Sharif stayed in the north to document the events and actions of the Israeli military. Al-Sharif's last tweet warned that Israel's latest plan to invade Gaza risked muzzling Palestinian voices in the besieged enclave.
In memory of Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, Palestinian journalists vow to keep their memory alive and continue to report on the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Saleh Jafar, a Palestinian journalist in Gaza, stated that Israel is targeting the media to stop the world from seeing its crimes in Gaza. Israel has banned the entry of international reporters and killed nearly 270 journalists and media workers in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
Al-Sharif is survived by his wife and a baby boy, and Qreiqeh was survived by his wife and a girl. Their families, friends, and colleagues mourn their loss and remember their bravery in the face of danger.
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