Israeli Strikes Kill 5 Al Jazeera Journalists; IDF Labels One Of Them 'Head Of Hamas Cell'

Marking the escalation of fresh tension in West Asia, Israeli airstrikes killed five correspondents and camerapersons from Al Jazeera near Gaza City's Al-Shifa Hospital. Confirming the airstrike, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) said the attack killed Al Jazeera's correspondent Anas al-Sharif and called him a "terrorist" who "posed as a journalist". 

The Israeli air raid reportedly killed Al Jazeera correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, alongside cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Moamen Aliwa, and Mohammed Noufal. They were among the seven people who died in the Israeli attack.

According to Al Jazeera, they were killed as the Israeli strikes hit a tent used by journalists outside the main gate of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

"Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif has been killed alongside four colleagues in a targeted Israeli attack on a tent housing journalists in Gaza City," the Qatar-based broadcaster said.

"Al-Sharif, 28, was killed on Sunday after a tent for journalists outside the main gate of the hospital was hit. The well-known Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent reportedly extensively from northern Gaza", they further added.

'Terrorist Posed As Journalist': IDF

Shortly after carrying out the deadly strike, the Israeli military issued a confirmation saying it had struck Al Jazeera's Anas al-Sharif and called him a "terrorist" who "posed as a journalist". 

"A short while ago, in Gaza City, the IDF struck the terrorist Anas Al-Sharif, who posed as a journalist for the Al Jazeera network", IDF said in its official statement.

"Anas Al Sharif served as the head of a terrorist cell in the Hamas terrorist organization and was responsible for advancing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops," the military said.

Who was Anas Al-Sharif?

As per media reports, Anas Al-Sharif, a Gaza-based journalist, was known for his extensive coverage of the ongoing conflict from the northern part of the Gaza Strip for Al Jazeera Arabic.

An alumnus of the Faculty of Media at Al-Aqsa University in Gaza City, he received the Best Young Journalist Award in Palestine in 2018 for his reporting, according to a report by Hindustan Times.

In July, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted a video on social media accusing Al-Sharif of being a member of Hamas’s armed wing.

Al Jazeera Media Network rejected the claim and accused Israel of running a “campaign of incitement” against its journalists.

'Know That Israel Has Killed Me': Anas al-Sharif's Last Post

Anticipating the possibility of the attack, in his last post on X, Anas wrote, "If these words of mine reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice."

"Allah knows I gave every effort and all my strength to be a support and a voice for my people, ever since I opened my eyes to life in the alleys and streets of the Jabalia refugee camp. My hope was that Allah would extend my life so I could return with my family and loved ones to our original town of occupied Asqalan (Al-Majdal). But Allah’s will came first, and His decree is final. I have lived through pain in all its details, tasted suffering and loss many times, yet I never once hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification—so that Allah may bear witness against those who stayed silent, those who accepted our killing, those who choked our breath, and whose hearts were unmoved by the scattered remains of our children and women, doing nothing to stop the massacre that our people have faced for more than a year and a half", his post read.

Media watchdogs reportedly said that the attack marked the latest attempt to target journalists amid the 22-month war in Gaza, with around 200 media workers killed over the course of the conflict.