Israel’s escalated attack on Gaza City today targeted and hit a tent housing journalists, outside the main gate of the Al-Shifa Hospital, killing five journalists and two others. Al Jazeera reported that their well-known journalist Anas al-Sharif was among the dead. The other four deceased are Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh, and its camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa.
The Al Jazeera Media Network condemned the killings as “yet another blatant and premeditated attack on press freedom…. 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.”
Shortly before his death, al-Sharif posted on X that Israel had launched intense, concentrated bombardment—also known as “fire belts”—on the eastern and southern parts of Gaza City. His last video showed flashes of orange light with loud bombs of missile bombing. He commented, translated to English: “Nonstop bombing.… For the past two hours, the Israeli aggression on Gaza City has intensified.”
An IDF statement claimed that al-Sharif headed a Hamas cell and “advancing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and troops.” It claimed documents, not revealed, proved his involvement with Hamas. Muhammed Shehada, an analyst at the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, said there was “zero evidence” that al-Sharif took part in any hostilities. “His entire daily routine was standing in front of a camera from morning to evening.”
