Five Al Jazeera journalists killed in targeted Israeli airstrike near Al-Shifa Hospital
Five Al Jazeera journalists have been killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike on their tent near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, drawing condemnation and raising serious concerns about press freedom in the war zone.
The attack also claimed the lives of Al Jazeera correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, along with camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa.
According to Al Jazeera, the Israeli military confirmed that it “deliberately killed” al-Sharif and four other staff in the strike.
It is believed that the journalists had been threatened for months before the incident.
In what is believed to be a direct attack on press freedom, a total of at least 242 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
Other reports indicate more than 230 media workers have been killed by Israeli weapons since the war began, with at least 178 Palestinian journalists among the 186 total journalists killed since October 7, 2023.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 61,369 people and wounded 152,850.
In the months leading up to his death, the Israeli military led a smear campaign against al-Sharif, accusing him of heading a Hamas cell and being involved in advancing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and troops. Avichay Adraee, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, accused al-Sharif in a July 24 video of being a member of Hamas’s military wing, Al-Qassam, since 2013.
The Committee to Protect Journalists highlighted Israel’s “longstanding, documented pattern of accusing journalists of being terrorists without providing any credible proof”.
CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah stated that this pattern raises serious questions about its intent and respect for press freedom”, emphasising that “Journalists are civilians and must never be targeted. Those responsible for these killings must be held accountable”.
Al-Sharif had conveyed his fears to CPJ in July, describing the Israeli forces’ campaign as “a real-life threat” and an attempt at “moral assassination”.
He believed these accusations stemmed from his coverage of the Israeli occupation’s actions in Gaza, which he asserted “harms them and damages their image in the world”. Al-Sharif had recently reported on the starvation experienced by himself and his colleagues due to insufficient food aid entering Gaza.
The United Nations Human Rights Watch weighed in on the matter, saying: “We condemn the killing by Israeli military of 6 Palestinian journalists by targeting their tent, in grave breach of international humanitarian law. Israel must respect & protect all civilians, including journalists. We call for immediate, safe & unhindered access to Gaza for all journalists.”
IOL