Al Jazeera has confirmed that five of its journalists, including well-known correspondent Anas Al Sharif, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a tent used by reporters in Gaza City on Sunday.
The network identified the other victims as correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh, cameramen Ibrahim Zaher and Moamen Aliwa, and their assistant Mohammed Noufal.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the strike was directed at Sharif, accusing him of leading a Hamas cell linked to rocket attacks on Israel.
Sharif, one of Gaza’s most recognized journalists with millions of followers on social media, made his final posts on X and Instagram just minutes before the attack.
Al Jazeera denounced the attack, describing it as a deliberate killing intended to suppress coverage from Gaza. The network described Sharif as “one of Gaza’s bravest journalists” and accused Israel of attempting to suppress coverage of developments in the region.
The strike came shortly after the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) appealed for Sharif’s safety, warning of what it described as a smear campaign by the IDF that could precede an assassination attempt.
According to CPJ, at least 186 journalists have been killed since the Israel–Gaza conflict began on October 7, 2023, including 178 Palestinians reportedly killed by Israeli forces.
