Five Al Jazeera journalists killed in Gaza

Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif was killed along with four colleagues when Israeli forces targeted a tent sheltering journalists in Gaza City.

The attack, carried out late Sunday outside the main gate of al-Shifa Hospital, claimed seven lives in total. Among the dead were fellow Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh and camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa.

Before his death, al-Sharif, a prominent 28-year-old Arabic-language reporter known for his extensive coverage of northern Gaza, posted on X about heavy, concentrated Israeli bombardment — or “fire belts” — hitting the city’s eastern and southern areas. In his final video, explosions thundered in the background as orange flashes lit up the night sky.

In a message written on April 6 to be released in the event of his death, al-Sharif reflected on the suffering he had witnessed, saying he had “lived the pain in all its details” and “tasted grief and loss repeatedly,” but had never wavered in his commitment to tell the truth. He expressed sorrow over leaving behind his wife, Bayan, and missing the chance to watch his son Salah and daughter Sham grow up.

Al Jazeera Media Network condemned the killings as a “blatant and premeditated attack on press freedom,” describing them as part of the wider devastation caused by Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, which it said has brought “slaughter of civilians, forced starvation, and the obliteration of entire communities.” The network accused Israel of trying to silence reporting that exposes its actions and urged the international community to act to stop the “deliberate targeting of journalists.”

Hani Mahmoud, an Al Jazeera English correspondent who was nearby when the strike occurred, said reporting on al-Sharif’s death was the hardest task he had faced in nearly two years of war. He said the journalists were targeted because of their coverage of starvation, famine, and malnutrition in Gaza.

Israel’s military confirmed it had intentionally targeted al-Sharif, accusing him of leading a Hamas cell and facilitating rocket attacks — claims it said were backed by documents. However, Muhammed Shehada of the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said there was “zero evidence” linking him to any militant activity, noting his daily work was on camera.

Last month, the UN’s special rapporteur on freedom of expression, Irene Khan, warned of growing evidence that journalists in Gaza were being killed on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations of Hamas ties. Al Jazeera has accused Israel of fabricating evidence and running a “campaign of incitement” against its reporters, while the Committee to Protect Journalists voiced concern over an Israeli “smear campaign” targeting al-Sharif.

Rights groups say Israel has routinely labelled Palestinian journalists in Gaza as Hamas operatives in an effort to undermine their reporting. Since the war began in October 2023, more than 200 journalists and media workers — including several from Al Jazeera and their family members — have been killed in Israeli attacks.