THE UK Government must back a full International Criminal Court investigation into Israel’s “blatant” targeting and killing of media workers after the death of a renowned Palestinian journalist in Gaza, the UK journalists’ union has said.
Anas al-Sharif, an Al Jazeera correspondent and one of Gaza’s best known reporters, was killed in an Israeli strike on August 10 along with five other journalists: correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh, camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa, and freelance photojournalist Mohammed Al-Khaldi, who succumbed to his wounds after the other five deaths were widely reported.
Israel admitted targeting al-Sharif in the strike, claiming that he was an operative for Hamas who had led a “terrorist cell and advanced rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and IDF troops”. It did not comment on the other five journalists killed.
However, Al Jazeera rejected the claim against al-Sharif, saying Israel had admitted to its crimes and branding the killing a “desperate attempt to silence the voices exposing the impending seizure and occupation of Gaza.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists's Sara Qudah said: “Israel wiped out an entire news crew. It has made no claims that any of the other journalists were terrorists. That’s murder. Plain and simple.”
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is accused of perpetrating genocide, is aiming to take complete control over Gaza City, with his security cabinet approving the plans last Friday.
Israel does not allow any international media outlets into Gaza, meaning organisations have to rely on reports from local journalists in the region. Al Jazeera warned that al-Sharif and his colleagues were “among the last remaining voices” in Gaza.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has said that at least 195 journalists – including 180 Palestinians – have been killed since October 7, 2023.
IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger said: "After a smear campaign against Gaza's journalists, Israel has killed five Al Jazeera staff in a tent housing journalists.
“The deliberate targeting of journalists is a war crime and Israeli leaders must be held accountable for their heinous actions.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms this deliberate killing of our colleagues and we stand in solidarity with all staff at Al Jazeera and our colleagues working in Gaza under such unacceptable circumstances.”
In the UK, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) called for the Labour Government to support an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into Israel’s killing of journalists. Netanyahu is already wanted for arrest by the ICC for alleged crimes against humanity.
NUJ general secretary Laura Davison said: “Journalists have specific rights under international law and once again these rights have been violated while other civilians have been killed as collateral damage. Israel has denied foreign reporters access to Gaza while systematically discrediting, targeting and killing local journalists. These are the activities of a government that does not want the world to witness its actions.
“That the Israeli military openly admits to these atrocities brings into sharp focus the need for international action to end this impunity.
“We once again reiterate our call for the UK Government, who claim to be committed to press freedom, to exert serious pressure to protect journalists, uphold international law and support an investigation by the International Criminal Court into the blatant targeting of journalists and media workers by Israeli forces. There must be immediate international action to end this obscene behaviour.”
Husam Zumlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, said: “This deliberate assassination of Palestinian journalists is part of Israel’s ongoing effort to silence the truth and carry out genocide in darkness. But no matter how many they kill, our people will continue to document and expose these atrocities to the world.”
Israel has killed Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Esharif and four of his colleagues in an airstrike on their tent outside Shifa Hospital in Gaza. This deliberate assassination of Palestinian journalists is part of Israel’s ongoing effort to silence the truth and carry out genocide… pic.twitter.com/IFOu1sfzWP
— Husam Zomlot (@hzomlot) August 10, 2025
Former Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf said: “I hope every journalist in Scotland, UK and across the world will stand in solidarity with fellow journalists who are being targeted and assassinated by Israel with impunity.
“These are the actions of a regime that does not want the truth of what they are doing in Gaza to be exposed.”
Yousaf further shared a post from journalist Mehdi Hasan, who had written in response to allegations against al-Sharif made by the IDF: “Remember that this military’s leadership is currently indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court, and being investigated for genocide at the International Court of Justice.”
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “The deliberate and relentless killing of Palestinian journalists is sickening beyond words – and is a desperate attempt to silence the truth about Israel’s ongoing crimes against humanity.
“Shame on all those who empowered Israel to murder with impunity.”
Responding to the killing of the five Al Jazeera journalists, Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said: “We are gravely concerned by the repeated targeting of journalists in Gaza.
″We are very clear that reporters covering conflicts are afforded protection under international law. In Gaza, journalists must be able to report independently.”
However, they further said that Israel's allegations about al-Sharif being a Hamas terror leader "should be investigated thoroughly and independently”.
