The death of award-winning Gaza reporter Anas al-Sharif and several of his colleagues in an Israeli airstrike has reignited global outrage over the safety of journalists in conflict zones.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Monday condemned "with force and anger" the "acknowledged murder by the Israeli army" of Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif in Gaza, who the armed forces admitted they had targeted.
The Paris-based press freedom group referred to al-Sharif was "one of the most famous journalists from the Gaza Strip (and) the voice of the suffering Israel has imposed on Palestinians in Gaza".
The organisation has urged the UN Security Council to convene under Resolution 2222 on the protection of journalists and pressed for "strong action" to halt such attacks.
RSF said the Israeli army’s allegations that al-Sharif was a Hamas operative were made "without evidence", accusing it of repeating a "well-known tactic" against Al Jazeera staff.
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28-year-old al-Sharif – hailed by colleagues as "one of Gaza’s bravest journalists" – was killed alongside four colleagues, when a tent near Shifa Hospital in eastern Gaza City was struck on Sunday.
Gaza officials and Al Jazeera reported that the four other staff members killed were Mohammed Qreiqeh, also a correspondent, and cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa.
A sixth journalist, Mohammed Al-Khaldi who worked as a freelance reporter, was also killed in the strike that targeted the Al Jazeera team, according to the director of Al-Shifa Hospital, Dr Mohammed Abu Salmiya.
Israel’s military claimed al-Sharif was the head of a Hamas cell and had been involved in launching rockets at Israeli targets. Al Jazeera firmly rejected the allegation, as did al-Sharif himself before his death.
The broadcaster described the strike as a "desperate attempt to silence voices in anticipation of the occupation of Gaza."
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Pulitzer-prize winner journalist
Al-Sharif’s career had been marked by courage and international recognition. As part of a Reuters team, he contributed to Pulitzer Prize-winning photography covering the Israel-Hamas war in 2024.
Known for his sharp reporting and compelling images, he built a following of over half a million on X, where he shared updates from the front lines until minutes before the fatal strike.
His final post described intense bombardment of Gaza City lasting more than two hours.
Journalist and human rights organisations condemned the killings. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which had warned in July that Al Sharif’s life was at risk, said Israel had failed to produce credible evidence to substantiate its claims.
CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa director, Sara Qudah, accused Israel of a "pattern of labelling journalists as militants without providing credible evidence" and raised "serious questions about its intent and respect for press freedom."
The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, Irene Khan, had previously said Israel’s accusations against al-Sharif were unsubstantiated.
Al Jazeera also revealed that he had prepared a message for posthumous publication: "I never hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or misrepresentation, hoping that God would witness those who remained silent."
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Allegations of militant affiliation dismissed
This is not the first time al-Sharif’s name has been linked to such allegations.
Last October, Israel’s military claimed he was one of six Gaza journalists affiliated with Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad, citing what it said were training and salary records.
Al Jazeera dismissed the evidence as fabricated at the time.
Hamas condemned the latest strike, claiming it was part of an Israeli plan to launch a major new offensive in Gaza City.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to dismantle remaining Hamas strongholds in the enclave, where hunger is spreading after 22 months of war.
According to Gaza’s government media office, 237 journalists have been killed since the war began on 7 October 2023.
The CPJ records at least 186 deaths among journalists during the conflict.
"Anas al-Sharif and his colleagues were among the last remaining voices in Gaza conveying the tragic reality to the world," Al Jazeera said in its statement.
Expanding the war
International reporters are prevented from travelling to Gaza by Israel, except on occasional tightly controlled trips with the military.
The strike on the journalists came with criticism mounting over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to expand the war in the Gaza Strip.
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The security cabinet voted last week to conquer the remaining quarter or so of the territory not yet controlled by Israeli troops, including much of Gaza City and Al-Mawasi, the area designated a safe zone by Israel where huge numbers of Palestinians have sought refuge.
The plan, which Israeli media reported had triggered bitter disagreement between the government and military leadership, drew condemnation from protesters in Israel and numerous countries, including Israeli allies.
(with newswires)
