The Israeli war on Gaza has consumed the life of a bravest, prominent and investigative Al Jazeera Journalist, Anas Al-Sharif and four other Journalists/ Media workers known for their frontline coverage, were killed in an airstrike on a tent outside al-Shifa hospital, in Gaza City on Sunday night.
Although, Israel admits deliberate attacked on the investigative journalists and others inside the tent late on Sunday when an Israeli strike shook al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, targeting the journalists’ tent by the gate.
As people rushed to help, it became apparent that five Al Jazeera staff had been killed, including Anas al-Sharif, one of the most famous faces of Arabic reporting from Gaza.
Al-Sharif, was one of the most recognisable faces in Gaza who had previously been threatened by Israel has been killed along with other six colleagues in an Israeli airstrike, his funeral was held on Monday morning.
Others killed in the attack are al-Sharif, Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh and camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa, according to the Qatar-based broadcaster.
The Israel Defense Force admitted the strike, claiming the reporter had “served as the head of a terrorist cell in the Hamas terrorist organisation and was responsible for advancing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF forces”.
It further claimed it had intelligence and documents found in Gaza as proof but rights advocates said he had been targeted for his frontline reporting on the Gaza war and that Israel’s claim lacked evidence.
The tent outside al-Shifa hospital where Anas al-Sharif and five others were killed by an Israeli strike. Israel admitted the strike, claiming he was a Hamas militant, a claim that the UN has said is unsubstantiated.
Calling al-Sharif “one of Gaza’s bravest journalists,” Al Jazeera said the attack was “a desperate attempt to silence voices in anticipation of the occupation of Gaza.”
Last month, Israeli IDF spokesperson Avichai Adraee shared a video of al-Sharif on X and accused him of being a member of Hamas’ military wing. At the time, the UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression, Irene Khan, called it “an unsubstantiated claim” and a “blatant assault on journalists”.
The airstrike was just a week after an Israeli military official directly accused Anas and ran a campaign of incitement on Al Jazeera and its correspondents on the ground because of their work, because of their relentless reporting on the starvation, the famine and the malnutrition,” Mahmoud added.
Israel has killed multiple Al Jazeera journalists and members of their families, including Hossam Shabat, who was killed in March, and Ismail al-Ghoul and his cameraman Rami al-Rifi, who were killed in August.
Chief correspondent, Wael al Dahdouh’s wife, son, daughter and grandson were killed in October, 2023 and Dahdouh himself was injured in an attack weeks later that killed Al Jazeera cameraman Samer Abu Daqqa.
Israel, does not allow foreign journalists into Gaza and has been targeting local reporters, has killed 237 journalists since the war started on 7 October 2023, according to Gaza’s government media office. The Committee to Protect Journalists said at least 186 journalists have been killed in the Gaza conflict. Israel denies deliberately targeting journalists.
However, one may ask why did Israel want to kill journalists? What happened that night? Here’s what we know: Who were the five Al Jazeera staff killed by Israel?
Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif, 28, was one of Gaza’s most recognisable faces for his constant reporting of the reality on the ground over the last 22 months. The father of two was born in Jabalia refugee camp and graduated from Al-Aqsa University.
The United Nations Human Rights Office has just condemned the killing of Palestinian journalists in Gaza by Israeli forces, calling it a “grave breach of international humanitarian law, while some Media Groups described the killings as barbaric.
