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Five Al Jazeera journalists, including renowned reporter Anas al-Sharif, have been killed in an Israeli airstrike near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the network said.
According to Al Jazeera, al-Sharif, correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh, and cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa were inside a press tent at the hospital’s main gate when it was hit.
The network described Sunday’s strike as a “targeted assassination” and “yet another blatant and premeditated attack on press freedom.”
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed it had deliberately targeted al-Sharif, claiming he led a Hamas “terrorist cell” and “planned rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and IDF troops.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the attack, saying Israel had not provided proof for its claims.
“This is a pattern we’ve seen from Israel — not just in this war, but over decades — where a journalist is killed by Israeli forces, then labelled a terrorist without substantial evidence,” CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg told the BBC.
Al Jazeera’s managing editor Mohamed Moawad told the BBC that al-Sharif was a fully accredited journalist and “the only voice” relaying events from Gaza to the world.
“They were targeted in their tent, not reporting from the front line,” he said, adding, “The Israeli government wants to silence all reporting from inside Gaza. I have not seen anything like this in modern history.”
Al-Sharif, 28, appeared to be posting on X moments before his death, warning of heavy Israeli bombardment. A final post, believed to be pre-written, was published after his death by a friend.
Graphic footage verified by BBC shows bodies being carried from the scene, with witnesses identifying both al-Sharif and Qreiqeh. Seven people in total were killed. Al Jazeera initially reported four staff deaths, later updating the number to five.
Last month, Al Jazeera, the UN, and the CPJ had issued warnings about threats to al-Sharif’s life. In July, IDF spokesperson Avichai Adraee posted a video accusing him of being in Hamas’ military wing — a claim UN special rapporteur Irene Khan called “unsubstantiated” and “a blatant assault on journalists.”
In its latest statement, the IDF accused al-Sharif of posing as a journalist and cited previously “disclosed intelligence” showing his alleged military ties, including “terrorist training course lists.”
The IDF has previously killed Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza, accusing them of Hamas links. In August last year, reporter Ismael Al-Ghoul was killed in an airstrike while in his car. Cameraman Rami al-Rifi and a boy cycling nearby also died. The IDF claimed al-Ghoul participated in Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attacks, an allegation Al Jazeera denied.
The CPJ reports 186 journalists have been killed since Israel’s offensive in Gaza began in October 2023. Those still reporting face not only bombings but also starvation.
Last month, the BBC and agencies Reuters, AP, and AFP warned of “desperate concern” for Gaza journalists. Some said they often go days without food, and one collapsed while filming.
Over 100 aid groups have warned of mass starvation in Gaza. Israel, which controls aid entry, accuses them of “serving Hamas propaganda.”
The current war began after the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Since then, more than 61,000 people have died in Gaza, according to local authorities.
