Gaza, Aug 11: Four Al Jazeera journalists and an assistant were killed Sunday in an Israeli airstrike near Shifa Hospital in eastern Gaza City, according to Gaza officials and Al Jazeera. The Israeli military stated that one of the journalists, Anas Al Sharif, 28, was a Hamas cell leader responsible for directing attacks on Israeli civilians and troops. However, rights groups and Al Jazeera strongly denied the claim, saying it was an attempt to silence frontline reporting.
Al Sharif was among the group that included journalists Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, and Mohammed Noufal. The strike also killed two others, according to a hospital official.
Al Jazeera called Al Sharif “one of Gaza’s bravest journalists” and condemned the attack as a “desperate attempt to silence voices in anticipation of the occupation of Gaza.” The Israeli military cited intelligence and documents allegedly found in Gaza as proof of Al Sharif’s militant role, but has not publicly shared the evidence.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and UN experts have previously warned of threats to Al Sharif’s life due to his reporting. UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan said last month that Israel’s allegations lacked substantiation.
“Israel’s pattern of labelling journalists as militants without credible evidence raises serious questions about its intent and respect for press freedom,” said Sara Qudah, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa director.
Minutes before his death, Al Sharif posted on X (formerly Twitter) about the intense bombardment of Gaza City. He also left a social media message to be posted if he died: “I never hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or misrepresentation, hoping that God would witness those who remained silent.”
Last October, Israel named Al Sharif among six Gaza journalists it accused of militant ties, citing documents allegedly showing training and salaries. Al Jazeera rejected these claims as “fabricated evidence” and called for their dismissal.
Hamas, which governs Gaza, condemned the killings and warned the strike might signal a broader Israeli offensive. “The assassination of journalists and intimidation of those who remain paves the way for a major crime the occupation is planning to commit in Gaza City,” Hamas said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged a new offensive to dismantle Hamas strongholds amid an escalating hunger crisis after nearly two years of conflict.
Al Jazeera said the slain journalists were “among the last remaining voices in Gaza conveying the tragic reality to the world.”
Since the war began on October 7, 2023, the Hamas-run Gaza government media office reported 237 journalists killed, while the CPJ counts at least 186 deaths in the conflict.
