Israeli Strike Kills Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif and Four Colleagues in Gaza
A late-night Israeli airstrike in Gaza has killed Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif, along with four of his colleagues, in what the network describes as a targeted attack on journalists.
The strike occurred on Sunday outside the main gate of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where the journalists had set up a tent to cover the ongoing conflict. According to Al Jazeera, the blast claimed seven lives in total, including fellow correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh and cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa.
Al-Sharif, 28, was widely recognized for his front-line coverage of northern Gaza and his in-depth Arabic-language reporting. Moments before the fatal strike, he posted on social media about what he described as an Israeli “fire belt” bombardment across Gaza’s eastern and southern districts. His final footage showed deafening explosions and bursts of orange light piercing the night sky.
The Israeli military accused al-Sharif of being a Hamas operative involved in directing rocket attacks, claiming to possess “unequivocal proof” of his role. However, human rights analyst Muhammed Shehada dismissed the allegations, insisting that al-Sharif’s work was strictly limited to on-camera reporting.
In a statement, Al Jazeera condemned the strike, accusing Israel of waging a “campaign of incitement” against its Gaza-based journalists. The network stressed that al-Sharif had been repeatedly targeted in recent months, describing his killing as part of an escalating assault on press freedom in conflict zones.
The incident adds to growing international concern over the safety of journalists in Gaza, where media workers have increasingly been caught in the crossfire of the war.
