At least five Al Jazeera journalists and media staff were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a media tent at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, according to the network. Those killed included prominent reporters Anas Al-Sharif and Mohammed Qraiqea.
Al Jazeera, citing the director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City, said correspondents Anas Al-Sharif and Mohammed Qraiqea were killed on when their tent near the hospital complex was struck on Sunday night, local time.
In a later update, Al Jazeera reported that the death toll had risen to five, including photographers and camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed they intentionally targeted Al-Sharif in the strike, alleging he was “a terrorist, who posed as a journalist for the Al Jazeera network.” The IDF claimed he was involved in militant activity and using his role as a journalist as cover.
Just minutes before the strike, Al-Sharif had posted on social media about heavy Israeli bombardment in parts of Gaza City. “Relentless bombardment… For two hours, the Israeli aggression has intensified on Gaza City,” his final post read.
In an earlier post, Al-Sharif wrote: “If this madness does not end, Gaza will be reduced to ruins, its people’s voices silenced, their faces erased — and history will remember you as silent witnesses to a genocide you chose not to stop.”
Al-Sharif had reported extensively on the war in Gaza for Al Jazeera, frequently broadcasting live from the field and sharing updates on social media about ongoing military operations. He was known for his on-the-ground coverage from some of the most heavily affected areas.
Qraiqea contributed to Al Jazeera’s coverage of the conflict, producing video reports and interviews from across the territory. He had been reporting from Al-Shifa Hospital in recent days.
The Committee to Protect Journalists reports at least 186 journalists and media workers killed during the Israel-Hamas war, describing it as the deadliest period for the profession since tracking began in 1992. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate and the International Federation of Journalists have reported higher figures.
Source: Al Jazeera
