Journalists, showcasing unyielding courage, are currently reporting and, in some cases, perishing in the confines of Gaza.
In a tragic turn of events, six Al Jazeera journalists and an assistant were deliberately targeted and killed by an Israeli airstrike near Gaza City's Al-Shifa Hospital on August 10, 2025. The strike hit a tent where these journalists were working, claiming the lives of Anas al-Sharif, Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, Moamen Aliwa, and independent journalist Mohammed al-Khaldi [1][2].
Anas al-Sharif, a prominent correspondent for Al Jazeera, had been threatened by the Israeli military. Accusations were made that he was a Hamas cell leader posing as a journalist—an allegation that Al Jazeera vehemently denied, stating that Israel aimed to silence journalists before an expanded offensive [1]. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and other rights organizations condemned the attack, highlighting it as part of a deliberate and systematic targeting of journalists by Israel, which constitutes a war crime under international law [2].
Anas al-Sharif was not only a star reporter for Al Jazeera but also part of a Reuters team that won a Pulitzer Prize last year. His bravery and dedication to his work were unparalleled, as he and the other slain journalists and technicians defied death for almost two years to bring heartbreaking news to an indifferent or even pro-genocidal world [2].
Irene Khan, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, denounced the Israeli threat against Anas al-Sharif. Reporters sans frontières (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also dismissed the Israeli military's accusation against him as baseless [2].
The incident raises the number of Al Jazeera staff killed in Gaza during the war to 10, with additional freelance journalists also killed [2]. The killing took place amid a broader conflict that has resulted in the deaths of over 192 journalists since October 7, 2023, most of them Palestinian reporters killed by Israel [2]. Witnesses describe burning and shrapnel injuries among those trying to assist at the site of the explosion [2].
The loss of these brave journalists and technicians represents the darkest side of journalism—a profession that often faces danger and adversity in the pursuit of truth. Their courage and commitment to their work will never be forgotten.
References: [1] Associated Press. (2025, August 11). Al Jazeera journalists killed in Gaza strike. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-58232861 [2] The Guardian. (2025, August 11). Al Jazeera journalists killed in Gaza strike. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/11/al-jazeera-journalists-killed-in-gaza-strike
The Israeli military's claim against Anas al-Sharif, a renowned Al Jazeera correspondent, as a Hamas cell leader was refuted by Al Jazeera and various rights organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), as an attempt to silence journalists before an expanded offensive. This incident, which resulted in the death of Al-Sharif and five other Al Jazeera journalists and technicians, was condemned as part of a deliberate and systematic targeting of journalists by Israel, constituting a war crime under international law.
