Al Jazeera announced [1], [2] on Sunday night that five members of its news crew, including well-known correspondent Anas al Sharif, were killed when the Israeli army “targeted” a tent they were using outside Shifa Hospital in Gaza City (northern Gaza). In total, seven people were killed in the strike, according to Al Jazeera.
The Israeli armed forces confirmed that they had targeted Anas al Sharif, calling him “a Hamas terrorist” who was “posing as a journalist.” Al Jazeera had rejected the Israeli claims before his killing, describing him as “one of Gaza’s bravest journalists” and stressing that the attack was “a desperate attempt to silence voices amid the occupation of Gaza.”
In addition to his work with Al Jazeera, al Sharif was a member of the Reuters team that won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in the “Breaking News Photography” category for coverage of Israeli attacks on Gaza. Journalist groups and Al Jazeera condemned the killings.
Press associations report that at least 186 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, while Gaza’s Ministry of Health puts the number at 236.
The Israeli army stated that the journalist was the head of a Hamas unit and “responsible for rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers,” citing intelligence information.
Press freedom organizations and UN experts had warned that al Sharif’s life was at risk due to his work as a journalist, while UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan stated last month that Israel’s claims against him were unfounded.
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