Israeli ambassador defends journalist's murder, citing Hamas affiliation
In a recent statement to German TV station "Welt", the Israeli ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, accused Al-Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif of being the leader of a Hamas terror cell. However, the Israeli government has yet to present any formal evidence to support this accusation.
The accusation was made in the context of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Prosor defended the killing of Al-Sharif in a targeted air strike, stating that those who carry out terror against Israel have no immunity.
The accusations against Al-Sharif have been met with strong condemnation from UN officials and media watchdogs. A UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression has highlighted that Israel has made repeated, unsubstantiated accusations against Al-Sharif and other Palestinian journalists, labeling them as terrorists or Hamas affiliates with no supporting evidence. The UN expert described these claims as attempts to silence critical reporting on the situation in Gaza.
Critics and media analysts have noted the absence of credible proof that Al-Sharif had any involvement with Hamas and have raised concerns that his killing could constitute a war crime or an attack on journalism itself.
Despite the accusations, Al-Jazeera network and journalist Anas al-Sharif have not publicly responded to Prosor's statements. The Israeli ambassador also promised further clarification regarding the six other people killed in the air strike.
The Israeli ambassador's defense and accusations come amidst growing concerns about the ideology of the ongoing war. Prosor stated that Israeli society has learned that they can no longer downplay the ideology of the ongoing war.
This is not the first time Israel has been accused of targeting journalists in Gaza. Al-Sharif was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza in August 2025, and his killing has been strongly condemned by independent observers and UN experts as a threat to press freedom, warning that such targeting endangers journalists' lives without proof.
[1] UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, statement on the killing of Al-Sharif, October 2023. [2] Committee to Protect Journalists, report on the killing of Al-Sharif, August 2025. [3] Reporters Without Borders, statement on the killing of Al-Sharif, August 2025.
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