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Israeli Airstrike Kills 2 Al Jazeera Reporters, 4 other Journalists in Gaza

Israeli Airstrike Kills 2 Al Jazeera Reporters, 4 other Journalists in Gaza/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif, fellow reporter Mohamed Qreiqeh, and several others. The Qatari network calls it a targeted assassination, rejecting Israeli claims that al-Sharif was a Hamas operative. Press advocates say the strike marks an alarming escalation in what they call the deadliest conflict for journalists in modern history.

This undated recent image, taken from video broadcast by the Qatari-based television station Al Jazeera, shows the network’s Arabic-language Gaza correspondent, Anas al-Sharif, reporting on camera in Gaza. Al-Sharif and four other Al Jazeera staff members were killed by an Israeli drone strike on their tent in Gaza City shortly before midnight on Sunday. (Al Jazeera via AP)
Colleagues and friends mourn over the body Al Jazeera correspondent Mohamed Qureiqa who was killed with his colleague Anas al-Sharif and other journalists by an Israeli airstrike, at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Key Facts at a Glance

  • Incident: Airstrike late Sunday near Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital.
  • Casualties: Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif, Mohamed Qreiqeh, four other journalists, and two others.
  • Israel’s Claim: Al-Sharif led a Hamas cell — denied by Al Jazeera.
  • Al Jazeera Response: Calls it “targeted assassination” and “incitement.”
  • Press Death Toll: At least 186 journalists killed in Gaza war, CPJ says.
  • International Reaction: UN condemns attack as breach of humanitarian law.
  • Context: Israel has banned Al Jazeera domestically, raided offices in West Bank.
Palestinians pray over the bodies of journalists, including Al Jazeera correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohamed Qreiqeh, who were killed in an Israeli airstrike, during their funeral outside Gaza City’s Shifa hospital complex, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Palestinians carry the body of Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif, who, along with other journalists, was killed in an Israeli airstrike, during his funeral outside Gaza City’s Shifa hospital complex, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Israeli Airstrike Kills 2 Al Jazeera Reporters, 4 other Journalists in Gaza

Full Story

JERUSALEM — Israel’s military confirmed it carried out the airstrike that killed prominent Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif, fellow reporter Mohamed Qreiqeh, and several others outside Gaza City late Sunday. The attack, which also killed four other journalists, has intensified international alarm over what advocacy groups call the most dangerous conflict for reporters in modern times.

Hospital officials at Shifa Hospital — Gaza’s largest medical facility — said the victims were sheltering in a journalists’ tent near the emergency building when the strike hit, damaging the hospital entrance. Administrative director Rami Mohanna told the Associated Press that two other civilians were also killed.

Israel’s Accusation and Al Jazeera’s Response

Israel’s military alleged that al-Sharif led a Hamas cell, an accusation both the journalist and Al Jazeera had repeatedly dismissed as false. It is the first time during the 22-month war that Israel swiftly claimed responsibility for killing a journalist.

Al Jazeera condemned the strike as a deliberate assassination:

“Anas and his colleagues were among the last remaining voices from within Gaza, providing the world with unfiltered, on-the-ground coverage,” the network said.

The Qatari-based broadcaster accused Israeli officials of inciting against al-Sharif, pointing to a July 24 video from army spokesperson Avichay Adraee that labeled the journalist a member of Hamas’ military wing.

A Shrinking Press Corps Under Fire

Foreign journalists have been barred from entering Gaza since the war began, except for rare embedded trips with the Israeli military. Al Jazeera is one of the few networks still operating a sizable team in the besieged territory, documenting daily life amid bombings, displacement, and starvation.

The network has already lost several reporters in the conflict, including 27-year-old Ismail al-Ghoul and cameraman Rami al-Rifi last summer, and freelancer Hossam Shabat in March. All were accused by Israel of ties to militant groups.

International Condemnation

The U.N. human rights office called Sunday’s strike a “grave breach of international humanitarian law.”

Irene Khan, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, said last month that Israel’s attacks on journalists appeared to be part of a strategy to “suppress the truth, obstruct documentation of international crimes, and bury the possibility of future accountability.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said at least 186 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023. CPJ regional director Sara Qudah criticized Israel’s

“pattern of labeling journalists as militants without credible evidence.”

Final Words and Funeral

Minutes before his death, al-Sharif reported nearby bombardments. In a pre-written message posted posthumously, the 28-year-old addressed his family:

“I never hesitated for a single day to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification.”

Hundreds, including fellow reporters, gathered Monday at Shifa Hospital for funeral prayers. Bodies were wrapped in white shrouds before burial.

Ahed Ferwana, of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, said: “Reporters are being deliberately targeted. The world must act to protect journalists.”

Colleagues’ Stories

Qreiqeh, 33, a Gaza City native with two children, was also separated from his family for months earlier in the war. Both he and al-Sharif were reunited with loved ones during a brief ceasefire earlier this year — moments captured in videos showing their children not recognizing them after the long absence.

The Broader Picture

The Brown University Watson Institute has described the Gaza war as “the worst ever conflict for reporters.”

Advocates say the high journalist death toll is not only a press freedom crisis but also a blow to humanitarian transparency, as reporters often serve as the only independent witnesses in blockaded war zones.



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