Al Jazeera journalist, deemed by Israel to be Hamas cell leader, killed in Gaza
Illustrative photo: Gaza City under heavy shelling (Getty Images)
Journalist Anas al-Sharif was killed in Gaza City by shelling. According to the military, he was a Hamas cell commander posing as an Al Jazeera journalist, a claim the media outlet denies, according to Reuters.
Anas al-Sharif was among a group of four Al Jazeera journalists and their assistant who were killed when a strike hit a tent near al-Shifa hospital in eastern Gaza. A hospital worker said two other people were also killed in the strike.
According to the Israeli military, al-Sharif headed a Hamas cell and "was responsible for advancing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF (Israeli) troops." The statement cited intelligence and documents found in Gaza as evidence.
Al Jazeera reported that journalists Mohammed Qureiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, and Mohammed Noufal were also killed in the strike.
Press freedom organizations and a UN expert had previously warned that al-Sharif’s life was at risk due to his reporting from Gaza.
Last month, UN special rapporteur Irene Khan said Israel’s accusations against the journalist were unsubstantiated. In July, the Committee to Protect Journalists urged the international community to protect al-Sharif.
Al-Sharif, whose X account had more than 500,000 followers, posted on social media just minutes before his death that Israel had been heavily bombing Gaza City for more than two hours.
Photo: Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif (Facebook/Anas Al-Sharif)
The press service of the Hamas-controlled government in Gaza claimed that since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, 237 journalists have allegedly been killed.
Risk of full occupation of Gaza Strip
After more than 1.5 years of fighting, the Gaza Strip is facing a humanitarian catastrophe. According to various estimates, around 60,000 civilians have been killed in the shelling.
Recently, the Israeli government approved a plan for a full occupation of the enclave, including Gaza City. The US has not opposed Jerusalem’s plans.
For this, Israel has announced the mobilization of tens of thousands of reservists.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that his country does not plan to occupy the region, but rather to liberate it from Hamas militants.
