Five Al Jazeera journalists were killed on Sunday in an Israeli strike near the main gate of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the broadcaster has confirmed.
Correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, along with cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa, were inside a tent designated for journalists when it was hit. Al Jazeera described the incident as a “targeted assassination” and “a blatant, premeditated attack on press freedom.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later confirmed it had targeted al-Sharif, alleging he led a Hamas terrorist cell and was involved in coordinating rocket attacks. It did not comment on the deaths of the other journalists. Al Jazeera said al-Sharif was an accredited reporter and “the only voice” for many outside Gaza to understand the situation there.
Seven people in total were killed in the strike. Al Jazeera initially reported four staff fatalities, later revising the figure to five.
This comes amid ongoing restrictions on foreign journalists entering Gaza, forcing international media to rely on local reporters.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the attack, noting Israel’s repeated pattern of accusing slain journalists of militant ties without presenting sufficient evidence. The CPJ says 186 journalists have been killed since Israel’s Gaza offensive began in October 2023.
Similar incidents have occurred before. In August 2024, Al Jazeera journalist Ismael Al-Ghoul and cameraman Rami al-Rifi were killed in an air strike, with Israel claiming Hamas affiliation—an allegation the network rejected.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, more than 61,000 people have been killed since Israel launched its military campaign in response to the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack, which left about 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 taken hostage.
