An Israeli airstrike in Gaza City has killed a prominent Al Jazeera correspondent and several of his colleagues, according to statements from the broadcaster and Palestinian officials. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have confirmed the strike, claiming the main journalist killed was a leader of a Hamas terrorist cell, a charge that Al Jazeera and press freedom advocates have vehemently denied.
The incident occurred near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where a tent used by journalists was struck. Al Jazeera has named correspondent Anas al-Sharif, along with Mohammed Qreiqeh and camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa, as among the casualties. An official at the hospital, cited by Reuters, reported a total of seven people were killed in the strike.
The IDF stated that al-Sharif was a member of Hamas’s military wing and was responsible for rocket attacks. In a statement, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) noted that Israel has a documented history of accusing journalists of being terrorists without providing credible evidence. The CPJ had previously urged the international community to protect al-Sharif, who had expressed fears for his safety after an Israeli military spokesperson accused him of being a Hamas member.
This latest incident adds to the growing number of journalists killed since the conflict began. The Committee to Protect Journalists has labeled the war in Gaza as the deadliest conflict for media workers on record. Both Palestinian journalists’ groups and Al Jazeera have condemned the killings, with the broadcaster calling the attack a “desperate attempt to silence voices.”