Anas al-Sharif among 5 Al Jazeera journalists killed in Israeli strike on Gaza Press tent
PTC Web Desk: Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif and four of his colleagues have been killed in what may be termed as a targeted Israeli strike on a tent used by reporters outside al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
The attack, which took place late Sunday evening, claimed seven lives in total. Among the dead were Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh and camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa. The tent was located just outside the hospital’s main gate, a known gathering point for journalists covering the war.
Al-Sharif, 28, was a well-known Arabic-language correspondent who had reported extensively from northern Gaza. Shortly before his death, he posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Israel was carrying out intense “fire belt” bombardments on eastern and southern Gaza City. In his final video, the sounds of heavy missile strikes are heard as flashes of orange light fill the night sky.
قصف لا يتوقف…
منذ ساعتين والعدوان الإسرائيلي يشتد على مدينة غزة. pic.twitter.com/yW8PesTkFT — أنس الشريف Anas Al-Sharif (@AnasAlSharif0) August 10, 2025
In a message dated April 6, prepared in case of his death, al-Sharif wrote about enduring “pain in all its details” and repeatedly experiencing “grief and loss.” He vowed he had always told “the truth as it is” and condemned those who “remained silent” or “accepted our killing.” He also expressed sorrow at leaving behind his wife, Bayan, and not being able to watch his son, Salah, and daughter, Sham, grow up.
Al Jazeera condemns ‘premeditated attack’
Al Jazeera media network strongly condemned the killings, calling them “yet another blatant and premeditated attack on press freedom.” The network said the strike was part of a broader assault on Gaza that has resulted in mass civilian deaths, starvation, and the destruction of communities. It accused Israel of attempting to “silence voices” reporting on what it described as an impending occupation of Gaza.
The network urged the international community to take urgent action to stop the “genocide” and hold those responsible accountable, warning that impunity would only encourage further attacks on journalists.
Al Jazeera’s English correspondent Hani Mahmoud, who was one block away when the strike hit, called reporting on al-Sharif’s death the hardest moment of his career. He said the journalists were killed “because they were exposing the truth about starvation, famine, and malnutrition in Gaza.”
Israel’s claim and denial of proof
In a statement, the Israeli military said al-Sharif was a Hamas operative who led a cell responsible for launching rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and troops, claiming it had “unequivocal proof” of his involvement.
However, Muhammed Shehada of the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor disputed this, saying there was “zero evidence” al-Sharif took part in any hostilities. “His entire daily routine was standing in front of a camera from morning to evening,” Shehada told Al Jazeera.
Last month, after an Israeli army spokesperson accused al-Sharif of being a member of Hamas’s military wing, United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of expression Irene Khan voiced alarm over repeated threats and accusations against him. She warned there was growing evidence that journalists in Gaza had been “targeted and killed” by the Israeli military based on unsubstantiated claims.
- With inputs from agencies
