Five journalists working for Al Jazeera were killed on Sunday in what the broadcaster has condemned as a “blatant and premeditated attack on press freedom.”
The group, correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, along with cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa, were inside a designated press tent at the main gate of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City when the site was hit. Al Jazeera reported that seven people were killed in total.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later confirmed it had targeted al-Sharif, alleging in a Telegram post that he was “the head of a terrorist cell in Hamas.” No mention was made of the other journalists killed. Al Jazeera and press freedom advocates have rejected the IDF’s claims, insisting that al-Sharif was an accredited reporter whose work provided a vital window into the war-torn enclave.
“Anas was the only voice telling the world what was happening inside Gaza,” Mohamed Moawad, Al Jazeera’s managing editor, told the BBC, adding that the journalists were not on the front lines but in a clearly marked media area.
Israel has barred foreign reporters from entering Gaza since the start of the war, leaving international news outlets heavily reliant on local journalists for coverage. Press freedom groups say that makes the killing of local reporters even more devastating to independent reporting.
Al-Sharif, 28, appeared to be posting on social media moments before the strike, warning of heavy bombardment in Gaza City. A post published after his death was believed to have been pre-scheduled or shared by a colleague.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the United Nations had previously warned that al-Sharif’s life was at risk, calling for his protection. CPJ chief executive Jodie Ginsberg accused Israel of a long-standing pattern of labelling slain journalists as militants without providing substantiated evidence.
This latest incident follows previous deadly strikes on Al Jazeera staff. In August 2024, journalist Ismael Al-Ghoul was killed in an air strike while sitting in his car, along with cameraman Rami al-Rifi and a bystander. The IDF claimed Al-Ghoul participated in Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attacks, a charge the network denied.
According to CPJ data, at least 186 journalists have been killed since Israel’s military campaign in Gaza began in October 2023, raising urgent questions about the safety of reporters in conflict zones and the boundaries of press freedom during wartime.