In one of the deadliest incidents for media workers in the ongoing Gaza conflict, five journalists affiliated with Al Jazeera were killed in an Israeli airstrike near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on Sunday. The victims included prominent correspondent Anas al-Sharif, fellow reporter Mohammed Qreiqeh, and three camera operators: Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa.

The strike targeted a tent designated for press coverage outside the hospital’s main gate. Al Jazeera condemned the attack as a “targeted assassination,” asserting that its journalists were not operating in combat zones and were clearly identified as members of the press.

The Israeli military confirmed it had deliberately targeted al-Sharif, alleging he was affiliated with Hamas and involved in orchestrating rocket attacks—claims the network has strongly denied. Press freedom advocates, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, have expressed outrage, calling for independent investigations and warning against the normalization of violence against reporters.

Al-Sharif, 28, had been one of the few remaining voices reporting from inside Gaza amid a media blackout. A final message posted to his social media account shortly after his death read: “I gave every effort and all my strength to be a support and a voice for my people… I never hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification.”

This incident adds to a growing toll of journalists killed since the start of the Israel–Hamas war in October 2023. According to watchdog groups, over 180 media workers have died in the conflict, raising urgent questions about the safety of press personnel and the future of frontline reporting in war zones.