The Israeli military (IDF) has claimed responsibility for targeting Anas al-Sharif, alleging he led a “Hamas terrorist cell.”
At least five Al Jazeera employees have been killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit a journalist encampment in Gaza. Among the dead was Anas al-Sharif, a well-known correspondent recognized for his reporting on the humanitarian crisis there.
The incident occurred on Sunday evening when the IDF struck a tent located outside the main entrance to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based news organization, confirmed the deaths of four of its journalists—al-Sharif, Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, and Mohammed Noufal—immediately following the strike. Later, they announced that cameraman Moamen Aliwa was also among the victims, along with two others, bringing the total number of fatalities to seven.
Al-Sharif’s final post on X, shared just before his death, featured a video of Israeli strikes on Gaza City, describing the “relentless bombardment” by Israeli warplanes.
Hani Mahmoud, an Al Jazeera reporter who was nearby, reported hearing a significant explosion near Al-Shifa Hospital.
“I saw the sky light up, and soon after, news spread that it was the journalist camp at the hospital’s main gate,” he wrote, noting that the drone strike occurred after a period of calm when journalists had gathered together.
The director of Al-Shifa Hospital informed Al Jazeera that it appeared the IDF directly targeted the tent.
The Israeli military has stated that it targeted al-Sharif, alleging he was the head of a Hamas “terrorist cell” who was posing as a reporter.
Al Jazeera has refuted these allegations, calling them part of an “incitement campaign” against its journalists.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned the attack, asserting that Israel has provided “no evidence” to substantiate its claims about al-Sharif’s alleged Hamas membership.
“This is part of a pattern that we have seen from Israel… going back decades in which it kills journalists,” said CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg.
Since the start of Israel’s war on Hamas in October 2023, at least 237 journalists have been killed, according to the Government Media Office in Gaza, with Al Jazeera reporting the loss of 10 staff members.
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