Anas Al Sharif Among Those Killed in Gaza City Strike
In yet another deadly attack on media workers in war-torn Gaza, Al Jazeera confirmed on Monday that four of its journalists and one assistant were killed in an Israeli airstrike near Shifa Hospital in eastern Gaza City. Gaza health officials reported that two additional people also lost their lives in the attack.
Among the dead was Anas Al Sharif, a 28-year-old reporter described by Al Jazeera as āone of Gazaās bravest journalists.ā The network called the strike a ādesperate attempt to silence voicesā during Israelās ongoing military operations in the enclave.
According to the Israeli military, Al Sharif was not only a journalist but also the head of a Hamas cell āresponsible for advancing rocket attacksā on Israeli civilians and troops. The military claimed its assertions were based on intelligence and documents allegedly recovered in Gaza.
Press Freedom Groups Reject Israelās Allegations
Al Jazeera, press freedom advocates, and a United Nations official rejected Israelās claims, saying there was no credible evidence linking Al Sharif to militant activities. UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan had previously warned that Al Sharifās life was in danger due to his frontline reporting, calling the Israeli allegations āunsubstantiated.ā
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which in July urged international action to protect Al Sharif, reiterated its stance that Israel had failed to provide proof. āIsraelās pattern of labelling journalists as militants without providing credible evidence raises serious questions about its intent and respect for press freedom,ā said Sara Qudah, CPJās Middle East and North Africa director.
The other Al Jazeera journalists killed were Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, and Mohammed Noufal. All were covering the war from the ground, documenting the humanitarian crisis and destruction caused by nearly two years of conflict.
A Message From Beyond
Before his death, Al Sharif left a pre-written social media message to be posted in the event of his killing:
āI never hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or misrepresentation, hoping that God would witness those who remained silent.ā
Minutes before the fatal strike, his X (formerly Twitter) account ā which had over 500,000 followers ā reported that Israeli forces had been bombarding Gaza City for more than two hours.
Gazaās Media Toll Mounts
The Gaza government media office stated that 237 journalists have been killed since the war began on October 7, 2023. CPJās own tally records at least 186 journalist deaths in the conflict.
Hamas condemned the killings, warning that the targeting of journalists could signal a new Israeli offensive. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he plans further operations to dismantle Hamas strongholds, as Gaza faces an escalating hunger crisis after 22 months of war.
āAnas Al Sharif and his colleagues were among the last remaining voices in Gaza conveying the tragic reality to the world,ā Al Jazeera said in its statement.
Iām Waqas Ahmad, a storyteller at heart and a news writer by profession here at TezzLive.com. For me, journalism is more than just reporting facts ā itās about finding the human side of every story and delivering it with honesty and clarity.
I enjoy covering a mix of topics, from fast-breaking headlines to in-depth features that highlight voices and perspectives often left unheard. My mission is simple: keep you informed, make you think, and sometimes even inspire you.