Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif and four of his colleagues were killed in an Israeli attack on a tent where journalists were gathered in Gaza City.
Seven people died in total during the attack, which happened late Sunday near the main gate of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
The victims included Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh and camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa.
Shortly before his death, al-Sharif, a well-known 28-year-old reporter, posted on X that Israel had launched heavy bombing on the eastern and southern parts of Gaza City.
In his last video, the sound of loud explosions can be heard as the sky lights up with flashes of orange.
In a statement, Al Jazeera condemned the attack, calling it a deliberate attack on press freedom. The statement reads:
“This attack comes amid the catastrophic consequences of the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza, which has seen the relentless slaughter of civilians, forced starvation, and the obliteration of entire communities.
“The order to assassinate Anas Al Sharif, one of Gaza’s bravest journalists, and his colleagues, is a desperate attempt to silence the voices exposing the impending seizure and occupation of Gaza.”
Al Jazeera called on the international community and all relevant groups to “take decisive measures to halt this ongoing genocide and end the deliberate targeting of journalists”.
Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud, who was nearby when the strike happened, said reporting on al-Sharif’s death was the hardest thing he has done during the 22 months of war.
Mahmoud, who works for the network’s English channel, said the reporters were killed “because of their relentless reporting on the starvation and the famine and the malnutrition” suffered by Palestinians in Gaza, “because they’re bringing the truth of this crime to everyone”.
Israel’s military said al-Sharif led a Hamas cell and helped with rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers. They claimed to have proof of his involvement.
However, Muhammed Shehada, a human rights analyst, said there was “no evidence” that al-Sharif took part in any fighting.
Last month, after an Israeli army spokesperson shared a video accusing al-Sharif of being part of Hamas’s military wing, a UN expert on freedom of expression said she was “deeply worried” about the repeated threats and accusations against him.
Al Jazeera has accused Israeli authorities of making up evidence to link its staff to Hamas and recently condemned Israel’s military for a “campaign of incitement” against its reporters in Gaza, including al-Sharif.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said last month it was very concerned for al-Sharif’s safety as he was being “targeted by an Israeli military smear campaign.”
Since Israel started its war on Gaza in October 2023, it has often accused Palestinian journalists of being Hamas members to try to discredit their reports of Israeli abuses.
The Israeli military has killed more than 200 reporters and media workers since the bombing began, including several Al Jazeera journalists and their relatives.
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