Israeli strike in Gaza results in the deaths of 5 journalists reported by Al Jazeera
The 22-month war in Gaza has been the deadliest conflict for journalists in modern history, with Israel being accused of killing more journalists in Gaza than in most other recent conflicts combined. Among the most notable cases is that of Anas al-Sharif, a prominent Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was deliberately targeted and killed by an Israeli airstrike on August 10, 2025.
Anas al-Sharif, aged 28, was part of the entire Al Jazeera media crew in Gaza City killed in a strike on their media tent located outside Al-Shifa hospital. Along with him, other Al Jazeera journalists — Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal — and additional media workers such as freelance cameraman Moamen Aliwa and reporter Mohammad al-Khaldi, were killed in the same attack.
The Israeli military admitted to this strike and asserted that al-Sharif was a Hamas operative, labeling him a terrorist, though Al Jazeera and independent observers have strongly denied these claims and condemned it as a targeted assassination.
Prior to his death, al-Sharif had faced repeated threats and false accusations by Israeli forces accusing him of leading a Hamas militant cell. Despite these threats and personal tragedy — including the killing of his 90-year-old father by an Israeli airstrike on their family home in Jabalia refugee camp in late 2023 — al-Sharif continued his fearless journalistic coverage of the war, including documenting mass killings, destruction of infrastructure, and humanitarian crises in Gaza.
This targeted killing aligns with the broader pattern during the conflict, in which Israeli forces have systematically targeted Palestinian journalists, sometimes claiming ties to Hamas militants. International bodies and press freedom organizations like Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have condemned these actions as violations of international law and war crimes, stressing that journalists are protected unless directly participating in combat.
In summary, the case of Anas al-Sharif exemplifies the broader history of targeted attacks on journalists in Gaza, where many Palestinian reporters have been killed under Israeli strikes amid false terrorism allegations, making the conflict extremely perilous for media professionals.
The attack on the tent in Gaza City killed five Al Jazeera staff members, including Anas al-Sharif, Mohammed Qreiqeh, camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa. Anas al-Sharif was extensively reporting from northern Gaza when he was targeted by the Israeli military, which labeled him as a "terrorist" affiliated with Hamas.
With Gaza sealed off, many media groups around the world depend on photo, video, and text coverage of the conflict provided by Palestinian reporters. International criticism is growing over the plight of the more than two million Palestinian civilians in Gaza, with UN agencies and rights groups warning that a famine is unfolding in the territory.
Israel announced plans to expand its military operations on the ground in Gaza, with Netanyahu saying on Sunday that the new offensive was set to target the remaining Hamas strongholds there. UN Assistant Secretary General Miroslav Jenca told the Security Council that if Israel's plans for Gaza City were implemented, they would likely trigger another calamity in Gaza, causing further forced displacement, killings, and destruction.
The CPJ expressed "appall" at the journalists' deaths following the attack. The incident has sparked a wave of international outcry, with many calling for an investigation into the targeted killing of Anas al-Sharif and other Palestinian journalists in Gaza.
- The targeted killing of Anas al-Sharif, a 28-year-old Al Jazeera correspondent, aligns with the broader pattern during the Gaza conflict, where Israeli forces have been accused of systematically targeting Palestinian journalists.
- Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif, who was extensively reporting from northern Gaza, was labeled as a "terrorist" by the Israeli military, despite strong denials from Al Jazeera and independent observers.
- The attack on the media tent in Gaza City, which killed five Al Jazeera staff members including Anas al-Sharif, has sparked a wave of international outcry, with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) expressing "appall" at the journalists' deaths.
- The plight of Palestinian journalists in Gaza, who face repeated threats and false accusations, is part of a broader history of targeted attacks on press freedom amidst the war-and-conflicts and politics in Gaza, widely condemned as violations of international law and war crimes.
