Funerals held for five media workers as rights groups demand accountability; Australia to recognise Palestinian state at UN in September.
At least four journalists and one staff member of the Al Jazeera TV network were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City late Sunday. The victims include Pulitzer Prize-winner Anas al-Sharif, cameramen Ibrahim Zaher and Moamen Aliwa, reporter Mohammed Qreiqeh, and their assistant Mohammed Noufal.
Al Jazeera described the killings as “a desperate attempt to silence the voices exposing the impending seizure and occupation of Gaza.”
The attack, which struck a tent opposite Shifa Hospital, also killed two other people, according to hospital officials.
Al Jazeera: ‘Deliberate targeting’ of our journalists
In a statement, the Qatar-based network held the “Israeli occupation forces and government responsible for deliberately targeting and assassinating its journalists.”
“This follows repeated incitement and calls by multiple Israeli officials to target the fearless journalist Anas al-Sharif and his colleagues,” the statement said.
Al Jazeera stressed that “Anas al-Sharif and his colleagues were among the last remaining voices in Gaza conveying the tragic reality to the world.”
Israel admits targeting Al Sharif
Israel’s military admitted it targeted Al Sharif, alleging he led a Hamas cell involved in rocket attacks. Al Jazeera rejected the claim as fabricated and politically motivated.
Al Sharif had publicly dismissed Israel’s earlier allegations of links to Hamas. UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan last month said Israel’s accusations were “unsubstantiated.”
‘One of Gaza’s bravest journalists’
Al Sharif, 28, was a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist who had worked with Reuters before joining Al Jazeera. His work had been recognised globally, including an Amnesty International Human Rights Defender Award in 2024.
Minutes before his death, he posted on X that Gaza City was under intense bombardment. In a pre-scheduled message released after his killing, he urged the world:
“Do not let chains silence you, nor borders restrain you. Be bridges toward the liberation of the land and its people.”
Press freedom groups condemn killings
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which had previously warned about threats to Al Sharif’s life, said Israel failed to present any evidence linking him to armed groups.
“Journalists are civilians and must never be targeted. Those responsible for these killings must be held accountable,” said Sara Qudah, CPJ’s regional director.
The Freedom of the Press Foundation said:
“Without these journalists, the world wouldn’t see the atrocities in Gaza. That is why Israel is targeting and killing them in violation of international law.”
The National Press Club and the Council on American-Islamic Relations also labelled the killings as “war crimes” and called for an immediate halt to attacks on media workers.
A dangerous trend for journalists in Gaza
According to the Gaza government media office, 237 journalists have been killed since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023. The CPJ has confirmed at least 186 of those deaths.
Dawn newspaper’s compilation, based on multiple credible sources, lists over 250 slain journalists.
International reaction: Australia to recognise Palestine
The killings come as Australia announced it will recognise the State of Palestine at the United Nations in September, joining a growing number of countries challenging Israel’s actions.
Meanwhile, rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have already labelled Israel’s war in Gaza as “genocide”.
Hamas warns of looming offensive
Hamas said the assassination of journalists signals Israel is preparing a large-scale operation in Gaza City. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently vowed to launch a new offensive to dismantle Hamas strongholds, despite an escalating hunger crisis after 22 months of conflict.
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