Gaza City ( The COW News Digital) In another devastating blow to press freedom, prominent Al Jazeera journalist Anas Al-Sharif was killed along with three of his colleagues in what appears to be a targeted Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza. The strike, carried out near the main gate of Al-Shifa Hospital, hit a tent that had been set up for reporters covering the ongoing conflict.
The 28-year-old Al-Sharif, widely respected for his fearless frontline reporting, had extensively documented the humanitarian crisis, destruction, and alleged war crimes in Gaza since the beginning of Israel’s latest military offensive. According to Al Jazeera, he had been receiving persistent threats in recent weeks due to his coverage.
Local authorities confirmed the deaths of three others in the attack: Mohammed Quraqiya, a fellow Al Jazeera reporter; Ibrahim Zahir, a cameraman; and Mohammed Noufal, a media worker. All were inside the press tent at the time of the strike.
The Israeli military has admitted responsibility for the attack but claimed that Al-Sharif was allegedly leading a Hamas cell — an assertion for which no evidence has yet been made public. Human rights groups and press freedom advocates have condemned the killing, calling it part of a wider pattern of targeting journalists in Gaza.
Al-Sharif was among a small group of journalists who remained in northern Gaza despite the high risk, working tirelessly to bring global attention to the war’s impact on civilians. His reports often highlighted the stories of families trapped in the conflict zone, destroyed neighborhoods, and overwhelmed hospitals struggling to cope with mass casualties.
Since the start of the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, over 200 journalists and media workers have been killed, according to local press unions. Many of them were affiliated with Al Jazeera, which has lost multiple members of its reporting team in the conflict.
The killings have drawn sharp criticism from international organizations, with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reiterating its demand for independent investigations into attacks on media personnel in conflict zones. The United Nations has also warned that the targeting of journalists may constitute a violation of international humanitarian law.
Al Jazeera has vowed to continue reporting from Gaza despite the mounting toll, stating that silencing its journalists will not stop the truth from reaching the world.
