Journalist Anas al-Sharif from Al Jazeera met his demise at the hands of Israeli forces in the territory of Gaza.
Israeli Strike Near Gaza Hospital Kills Al Jazeera Journalist and Colleagues
In a tragic turn of events, Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif and three of his colleagues were killed in an Israeli air strike near Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on August 10, 2025. The strike also claimed the lives of two additional journalists and media workers, bringing the total death toll to six.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that the strike targeted a Hamas terrorist cell, alleging that al-Sharif was the head of the cell. However, UN experts and human rights groups have strongly condemned the killings, describing them as a deliberate attempt to silence critical reporting and expose alleged Israeli atrocities.
Al Jazeera described al-Sharif as "one of Gaza's bravest journalists" and a vital voice in reporting on the ongoing conflict. The other Al Jazeera journalists killed were Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, and Mohammed Noufal.
The attack took place amid a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, marked by overcrowded hospitals, shortages of medicines, and increasing deaths from malnutrition and disease. The United Nations has called for an independent investigation into the killings and emphasized the importance of protecting journalists to counter disinformation and reveal the reality on the ground.
The Hamas-run Gaza government media office has stated that 238 journalists have been killed since the war started in October 2023. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has denounced the targeting of journalists in Gaza, stating that it has created an "information blackout" in some areas.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has denounced the killing of Anas al-Sharif, denying the Israeli military's claims that he had ties to Hamas. The CPJ had previously warned that al-Sharif's life was at risk due to his reporting from Gaza.
Minutes before his death, al-Sharif posted on a social media platform that Israel had been intensely bombarding Gaza City for more than two hours. The CPJ accused Israel of targeting al-Sharif in a smear campaign and raised questions about its intent and respect for press freedom.
Al-Sharif had worked as a prominent correspondent for Al Jazeera and was previously part of a photography team for Reuters that won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography. The German Foreign Office has expressed concern over the killing of media workers, stating that it is "absolutely unacceptable" under international humanitarian law.
Al Jazeera called the attack on its journalists a "desperate attempt to silence voices in anticipation of the occupation of Gaza" and urged international accountability. The UN human rights office has condemned the killing of at least five Palestinian journalists in Gaza, stating it as a "grave breach of international humanitarian law."
According to the US Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs' Costs of War project, the conflict in Gaza is the deadliest on record for journalists, surpassing the combined deaths in the US Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the wars in Yugoslavia in the 1990s and 2000s, and the post-9/11 war in Afghanistan.
Al Jazeera remains blocked in Israel, where soldiers raided and shut its West Bank offices last year. The Israeli military has faced international criticism for its treatment of journalists covering the conflict in Gaza.
- In the face of strong condemnation from human rights groups, UN experts, and international organizations, Israel's claim that the strike targeted a Hamas terrorist cell is being disputed.
- According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the targeting of journalists in Gaza has led to an "information blackout" in certain areas.
- The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has questioned the Israeli military's intentions regarding the killings, citing concerns for press freedom.
- Amid ongoing war-and-conflicts in the Middle East, particularly in Gaza, the international community has emphasized the importance of protecting journalists to counter disinformation and expose the reality on the ground.
- In general-news and crime-and-justice sections worldwide, the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif and three of his colleagues has drawn significant attention due to concerns about the freedom of the media.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, including overcrowded hospitals, shortages of medicines, and increasing deaths from malnutrition and disease, amid the intensifying conflict and alleged atrocities by the Israeli military.
