Five Al Jazeera Journalists, Including Anas Al-Sharif, Killed in Israeli Strike in Gaza

Gaza / Doha, 11 August – (www.deccanlive.com): Al Jazeera has reported that five of its journalists were killed in an Israeli attack near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

According to the network, reporter Anas Al-Sharif, reporter Muhammad Qaraiya, cameramen Ibrahim Zaheer and Muhammad Noufal, and journalist Momin Aliwa were inside a media tent at the hospital’s main entrance when it was struck.

In a statement, Al Jazeera condemned the incident as “a deliberate and blatant attack on press freedom.” Shortly after the strike, the Israeli military confirmed targeting Anas Al-Sharif, claiming on Telegram that he was “heading a terrorist cell within Hamas.” No details were given about the other journalists. The network said a total of seven people were killed in the attack.

Al Jazeera’s Managing Editor, Mohamed Moawad, told the BBC that Al-Sharif was a well-known reporter and “the only voice” from Gaza to the outside world. He noted that the journalists were not on the front lines but inside their tent when targeted.

Since the war began, Israel has barred international reporters from entering Gaza, forcing many outlets to rely on local journalists. Moawad said the attack showed “an effort to silence any coverage from inside Gaza,” something he described as unprecedented in modern history.

Just moments before his death, the 28-year-old Al-Sharif posted on X about heavy Israeli bombing in Gaza City. Last month, Al Jazeera, the United Nations, and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) had called for his safety.

According to CPJ, since Israel’s military operations began in Gaza in October 2023, at least 186 journalists have been confirmed killed.