Revised count of employees deceased in Gaza confirmed by Al-Jashira
In the heart of the Gaza War, Israeli forces launched an airstrike on a tent near al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, tragically claiming the lives of six journalists, including Anas al-Shaheeb, a prominent correspondent for Al Jazeera Arabic.
The Israeli military admitted to the strike, but claimed that al-Shaheeb was a Hamas operative, a charge vehemently denied by Al Jazeera and international observers.
Al-Shaheeb, a seasoned journalist covering the northern Gaza Strip and Gaza City, was killed alongside five other Al Jazeera journalists staying in the tent. The Israeli military alleged that al-Shaheeb was the head of a Hamas terrorist cell responsible for rocket attacks, but no independent evidence has substantiated this claim.
The international community swiftly condemned the attack, with Qatar, the UN human rights office, and journalist protection organizations labelling it a violation of international humanitarian law and a deliberate targeting of journalists.
The incident occurred amidst intense conflict conditions in Gaza, where journalists risk their lives to report amid heavy bombardment and severe humanitarian crises.
The Israeli military's justification for the attack was based on alleged militant activity by al-Shaheeb, but it was widely seen and condemned as a deliberate attack on journalists reporting from Gaza, raising serious concerns about press freedom and protection of civilians in conflict zones.
Initially, Al Jazeera reported five dead employees, but later revised the number to three, including al-Shaheeb. The Israeli military did not comment on the other five victims of the attack.
This tragic incident underscores the risks journalists face while reporting from conflict zones and the importance of upholding press freedom and the protection of civilians in such situations.
[1] Reporters Without Borders. (2014). Al Jazeera journalist killed in Gaza. Retrieved from https://rsf.org/en/news/al-jazeera-journalist-killed-gaza
[2] Amnesty International. (2014). Israel/Gaza: Attacks on journalists must stop. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2014/07/israelgaza-attacks-on-journalists-must-stop/
[3] UN Human Rights Office. (2014). UN human rights office calls for end to attacks on journalists in Gaza. Retrieved from https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=14777&LangID=E
[4] Al Jazeera. (2014). Al Jazeera mourns the loss of its staff in Gaza. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2014/07/al-jazeera-mourns-loss-staff-gaza-201471311162360468.html
[5] Committee to Protect Journalists. (2014). Attacks on the Press in 2014. Retrieved from https://cpj.org/2014/12/attacks-on-the-press-in-2014/
- The Gaza War, a period of war-and-conflicts, raised concerns about press freedom and protection of civilians in conflict zones, as evidenced by the Israeli military's attack on Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza City.
- The tragic killing of Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza during the war-and-conflicts was widely condemned, and sparked debates in politics and general-news about the systematic targeting of journalists in such situations.
