Israeli forces launched a deadly airstrike late Sunday in Gaza, killing prominent Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif and several colleagues, sparking widespread condemnation and accusations of a deliberate campaign to silence journalists reporting the harsh realities of war.
The strike, confirmed by Israel and Gaza hospital officials, targeted a press site outside Gaza City’s main hospital, killing al-Sharif, fellow Al Jazeera reporter Mohamed Qreiqeh, four other journalists, and two civilians. Hospital authorities described the attack as a brutal blow to media freedom amid the ongoing conflict.
Israel’s military accused al-Sharif of leading a Hamas cell, claims dismissed by Al Jazeera and human rights advocates as baseless smears aimed at justifying the killings. This marks the first time in the 22-month war that Israel openly accepted responsibility for a journalist’s death, underscoring the deadly risk faced by reporters in the world’s deadliest conflict for the media.
Five Al Jazeera journalists killed in Gaza
Al Jazeera denounced the strike as a “targeted assassination” and accused Israeli officials of inciting violence against its team, who have been among the few voices delivering raw, frontline coverage of Gaza’s devastation, starvation, and relentless bombings.
The killing comes after months of escalating attacks on Al Jazeera journalists, including previous deaths and office raids, with the network banned in Israel and restricted in the occupied West Bank.
UN human rights experts and press freedom groups condemned the airstrike as a grave violation of international law, warning that Israel’s smear campaign is a calculated attempt to silence truth and evade accountability.
At funerals for al-Sharif, Qreiqeh, and their colleagues, hundreds, including journalists from across the globe, mourned the fallen and called for urgent international action to protect media workers in conflict zones.
Al-Sharif, known for his fearless reporting and emotional broadcasts highlighting Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, left a poignant farewell message expressing his unwavering commitment to truth before his death.
The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the attack, urging the world to hold Israel accountable for targeting reporters, and highlighting that at least 186 journalists have been killed in Gaza during this conflict—making it the deadliest ever for the press.
Source: Agency