Israeli military attack claims life of Al Jazeera journalist Anas Al Sharif, leaving behind a chilling final message
Al Jazeera Journalist Anas al-Sharif Killed in Israeli Airstrike in Gaza City
Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif, aged 28, was tragically killed in a targeted Israeli military strike in Gaza City on August 10, 2025. The attack hit a tent used by journalists near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, leaving six journalists dead and two others injured [1][3].
Al-Sharif had been reporting for Al Jazeera since the war in Gaza began in 2023. He was known for his frontline coverage of Israel’s bombardment, particularly in northern Gaza, and for highlighting severe hunger and malnutrition in the territory. In one notable broadcast, he emotionally reported on the slow death caused by starvation among Gaza’s people [1][2].
Prior to his death, al-Sharif had expressed fears of being targeted and had appealed to the Committee to Protect Journalists for protection. The Israeli military accused him of being a leader in a Hamas cell, an allegation that both Al Jazeera and al-Sharif dismissed as baseless [1][2].
Al-Sharif's final message, which he described as his 'final will', was published on his social media after the airstrike. In it, he entrusted Palestine itself to the conscience of the world and expressed his lifelong hope of returning with his family to his original hometown of occupied Asqalan (Al-Majdal) [1][2].
The killing of al-Sharif and other journalists has intensified concerns about press freedom and the safety of media workers in Gaza. Since the war began in late 2023, Israel has denied access to international journalists inside Gaza, leaving Palestinian journalists like al-Sharif to document the conflict at great personal risk. At least 192 journalists have been killed during this war, with 184 Palestinians, including 10 Al Jazeera staff journalists, dying in Israeli strikes [1][3].
The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the attack and called the labeling of journalists as militants without credible evidence "a deliberate and systematic attempt to cover up Israel’s actions," emphasizing that deliberately targeting journalists is a war crime under international law [1][3].
This tragic event is not the first time an Al Jazeera journalist has been killed in Israeli strikes. In December 2023, Al Jazeera Arabic journalist Samer Abudaqa was killed and his colleague, veteran correspondent Wael Dahdouh, was wounded in an Israeli attack in Khan Younis, southern Gaza [1][3]. In July 2024, Al Jazeera Arabic journalist Ismail al-Ghoul and his cameraman Rami al-Rifi were killed in an Israeli air attack in the Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City [1][3].
The death of Anas al-Sharif represents both a personal tragedy and a significant blow to reporting on the Gaza conflict. It highlights the lethal risks Palestinian journalists face and raises serious international legal and ethical concerns about freedom of the press and the conduct of hostilities in Gaza [1][3].
[1] Al Jazeera English (2025, August 11). Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif killed in Gaza City airstrike. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/11/al-jazeera-journalist-anas-al-sharif-killed-in-gaza-city-airstrike
[2] The New York Times (2025, August 11). Al Jazeera Journalist Killed in Gaza Strip. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/11/world/middleeast/al-jazeera-journalist-killed-gaza-strip.html
[3] Committee to Protect Journalists (2025, August 12). Israel: Killings of journalists in Gaza must be investigated. Retrieved from https://cpj.org/2025/08/israel-killings-of-journalists-in-gaza-must-be-investigated.php
- The tragic death of Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif highlights the serious concerns about press freedom and the safety of media workers in Gaza, particularly during war-and-conflicts, as at least 184 Palestinian journalists, including 10 Al Jazeera staff journalists, have been killed during the ongoing conflict.
- Anas al-Sharif, a general-news reporter who covered the severe hunger and malnutrition in Gaza, was known for his work in sports, health, and crime-and-justice, delivering frontline coverage of Israel’s bombardment and attempting to shed light on the plight of the Gaza people.
- In the realm of politics, the killing of al-Sharif has intensified calls for international scrutiny, with the Committee to Protect Journalists condemning the attack and accusing the Israeli military of labeling journalists as militants without credible evidence, a practice that they deem as a deliberate and systematic attempt to cover up Israel’s actions, which is a war-and-conflicts crime under international law.
- The food industry was affected by al-Sharif’s work, as he often exposed the grim reality of severe hunger and malnutrition in Gaza, raising awareness about the humanitarian crisis in the territory and urging the international community to take action.
