Gaza City — The United Nations and press freedom groups on Monday condemned an Israeli airstrike in Gaza that killed an Al Jazeera news team. Meanwhile, Palestinians held emotional funerals for the victims, and Israel accused one of the journalists of being a Hamas operative.
Mourning the Victims
Dozens of people gathered in the courtyard of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where they stood among the rubble of destroyed buildings. They came to honor 28-year-old Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif and four colleagues killed on Sunday. In addition, hospital director Mohammed Abu Salmiya confirmed that freelance reporter Mohammed Al-Khaldi also died in the strike.
During the funeral procession, men wearing blue press vests carried the bodies — wrapped in white shrouds with faces exposed — through narrow streets to the graves. Israel openly admitted it targeted Sharif, claiming he was a Hamas “terrorist” who used journalism as a cover.
Details of the Strike
Al Jazeera stated that the other victims were correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh and cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa. According to the network, the strike hit a tent set up for journalists outside Al-Shifa Hospital’s main gate.
The Israeli military alleged that Sharif led a Hamas “terrorist cell” and coordinated rocket attacks against Israel. Over the course of the nearly two-year war, Sharif had become one of Al Jazeera’s most prominent reporters in Gaza, providing daily on-the-ground coverage.
International Reaction
Press freedom groups quickly denounced the attack. The UN human rights office described it as a “grave breach of international humanitarian law.” Furthermore, a farewell message that Sharif wrote in April — and published after his death — said he had been silenced and urged the world “not to forget Gaza.”
Previous Warnings
In July, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called for protecting Sharif after online posts by an Israeli military spokesman. The organization accused Israel of repeatedly labeling journalists as militants without offering credible evidence. Moreover, CPJ noted that the military had made similar claims against other reporters in Gaza, including several Al Jazeera staff members.
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