An Israeli airstrike in Gaza has killed five Al Jazeera employees, including prominent journalist Anas al Sharif, who had previously expressed fears that he was being targeted for assassination. The other victims were identified as Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) had recently voiced “grave” concerns for al Sharif’s safety, alleging that he was the subject of an Israeli military smear campaign. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed carrying out the strike, accusing al Sharif of being a “terrorist” and leading a Hamas cell responsible for rocket attacks. Al Jazeera condemned the incident as a “targeted assassination” and “yet another blatant and premeditated attack on press freedom.”
Al Sharif, 28, had spoken last month about living under the constant threat of being killed, claiming his reporting “harms them and damages their image in the world.” Since the conflict escalated in 2023, at least 186 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza, with foreign reporters barred from independent access.
The Hamas-run Gaza government called the strike a “brutal and heinous” act and a “full-fledged war crime,” alleging that journalists’ tents near al Shifa Hospital were deliberately targeted.
Following his death, a message described as al Sharif’s “last will and testament” was posted on X, saying: “If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice.” He expressed sorrow at not living to see his children grow and urged people not to forget Gaza or him in their prayers.
According to CPJ, al Sharif’s father was killed in an Israeli airstrike in December 2023, shortly after the journalist received threats from Israeli officers to halt his coverage. Israel banned Al Jazeera’s broadcasts in the country in May last year.
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