Al Jazeera Journalist Anas al-Sharif killed in Israeli strike on Gaza City

Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif, 28, was killed late Sunday alongside four colleagues in what the network has condemned as a targeted Israeli attack on a tent housing journalists outside the main gate of Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital.

According to Gaza health officials, seven people in total were killed in the strike, including Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh and camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa.

Moments before his death, al-Sharif, known for his extensive coverage of northern Gaza, posted on X that Israel had launched “intense, concentrated bombardment” — known as “fire belts” — on the eastern and southern parts of Gaza City. In his final recorded video, heavy missile fire echoed in the background, lighting up the night sky in orange flashes.

In a message prepared for release in the event of his death, al-Sharif reflected on the pain and loss he had endured. “I never hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or misrepresentation,” he wrote, lamenting leaving behind his wife, Bayan, and not witnessing his children, Salah and Sham, grow up.

Al Jazeera Media Network condemned the killings as “yet another blatant and premeditated attack on press freedom,” calling the incident part of a broader campaign that has “seen the relentless slaughter of civilians, forced starvation, and the obliteration of entire communities.” The network urged the international community to take “decisive measures to halt this ongoing genocide” and hold Israel accountable for the “deliberate targeting of journalists.”

Hani Mahmoud, an Al Jazeera English correspondent who was one block away at the time, described reporting on al-Sharif’s death as the most difficult task in his 22 months covering the war. He said the journalists were killed “because of their relentless reporting on the starvation, famine, and malnutrition” affecting Palestinians.

The Israeli military confirmed it had deliberately targeted al-Sharif, alleging he headed a Hamas cell involved in rocket attacks. It claimed to possess “unequivocal proof” of his Hamas affiliation. However, Muhammed Shehada of the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor disputed the claim, saying there was “zero evidence” linking the journalist to hostilities, describing his daily work as standing “in front of a camera from morning to evening.”

Last month, UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression Irene Khan warned of “growing evidence” that journalists in Gaza were being targeted and killed by the Israeli army based on “unsubstantiated claims” of Hamas ties, citing threats made against al-Sharif.

The killings add to mounting concerns over press safety in Gaza, where dozens of journalists have died since the conflict began more than a year and a half ago.