Palestinian Media Outlets Report Deaths of 5 Al-Jazeera Journalists in Israeli Airstrikes; Israel's Military Accuses One of Them of Being a Hamas Leader
In the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Anas Al-Sharif, a well-known Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent, became a prominent and outspoken voice. Known for his frontline reporting on the conditions in Gaza, Al-Sharif documented and reported on the humanitarian crisis and violence, providing crucial eyewitness accounts[1][3][4].
Anas Al-Sharif, 28, was a Gaza-based journalist, who extensively covered the ongoing conflict from the northern part of the Gaza Strip for Al Jazeera Arabic. He was the last surviving Al Jazeera journalist in northern Gaza before he was killed in an Israeli strike in August 2025[1][3][4].
The attack occurred on a Sunday near Gaza City's Al-Shifa Hospital, where Israeli airstrikes killed Al Jazeera correspondents Anas al-Sharif, Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, Moamen Aliwa, and Mohammed Noufal[2]. The journalists were killed as a result of Israeli strikes on a tent used by journalists outside the main gate of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City[1].
The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) referred to Anas al-Sharif as a "terrorist" who "posed as a journalist", but Al Jazeera Media Network rejected this claim and accused Israel of running a "campaign of incitement" against its journalists[3]. Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee had accused Anas Al-Sharif of being a member of Hamas's armed wing in July, but no substantial evidence was provided[2].
Anas Al-Sharif's last post expressed his commitment to conveying the truth without distortion or falsification[4]. The Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera confirmed that Al-Sharif and four colleagues were killed in a targeted Israeli attack[2]. The Israeli air raid killed seven people, including the five Al Jazeera personnel[2].
The death of Anas Al-Sharif sparked widespread condemnation from international human rights and press freedom organizations[1][2][3][4]. Media watchdogs reported that the attack marked the latest attempt to target journalists amid the 22-month war in Gaza, with around 200 media workers killed over the course of the conflict[1].
In addition to the loss of life among journalists, the conflict has taken a heavy toll on the civilian population, with at least 21 children reportedly dying of starvation in Gaza this year according to the World Health Organization (WHO)[5].
Anas Al-Sharif, an alumnus of the Faculty of Media at Al-Aqsa University in Gaza City, received the Best Young Journalist Award in Palestine in 2018 for his reporting[1]. In his last post, Al-Sharif anticipated the possibility of the attack and wrote about his hope to return to his original town of occupied Asqalan (Al-Majdal) with his family[4].
References:
- Al Jazeera (2025). Israeli airstrike kills five Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza. [online] Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/15/israeli-airstrike-kills-five-al-jazeera-journalists-in-gaza
- The Guardian (2025). Al Jazeera journalists killed in Gaza airstrike. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/15/al-jazeera-journalists-killed-in-gaza-airstrike
- Reuters (2025). Israel accused of incitement against Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza. [online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-accused-incitement-against-al-jazeera-journalists-gaza-2025-08-15/
- Middle East Eye (2025). Prominent Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif killed in Israeli strike in Gaza. [online] Available at: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/anas-al-sharif-al-jazeera-journalist-killed-israeli-strike-gaza
- World Health Organization (2025). Gaza: Over 21 children have died of starvation in 2025. [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/article/21-children-have-died-of-starvation-in-gaza-this-year
The overlapping spheres of war-and-conflicts, politics, and general-news were significantly impacted by the death of Anas Al-Sharif, a prominent Al Jazeera journalist. His reported death in an Israeli strike in August 2025, amid ongoing conflict in Gaza, was condemned by international human rights and press freedom organizations[1][2][3][4]. Crime-and-justice topics were raised when the Israeli Defense Force reportedly referred to Al-Sharif as a "terrorist" but Al Jazeera Media Network rejected this claim, with no substantial evidence provided for the allegation[2][3].
