An Israeli air strike has killed five Al Jazeera journalists near Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital, in what appears to be a deliberate attack on media personnel. The Sunday evening strike represents one of the single deadliest attacks on journalists since fighting began in October 2023.
Israeli forces hit a journalists’ tent outside Al-Shifa Hospital’s main gate, killing correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh. Three camera operators also died in the attack: Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa.
The deaths have triggered fresh international criticism and raised serious questions about Israel’s treatment of journalists covering the conflict.
Journalist Anas al-Sharif along with four other Al Jazeera staff have been killed by an Israeli attack which targeted a tent for the press outside al-Shifa Hospital’s main gate. pic.twitter.com/hfwWdDCCji
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) August 11, 2025
What Happened During the Gaza City Attack
The Al Jazeera journalists killed in Gaza were working from their media tent when the strike hit. Anas al-Sharif, just 28 years old, had been sharing updates about heavy Israeli bombing across Gaza City minutes before he died.
Al Jazeera initially reported four deaths but later confirmed a fifth colleague had also been killed. The Al-Shifa Hospital attack wiped out the broadcaster’s entire Gaza City team. These journalists had been using the tent as their reporting base while covering northern Gaza, where Israel blocks most international media from entering.
Al-Sharif was well-known for his Gaza coverage, particularly his reports on hostage releases. Many viewers remembered him for removing his body armour during a temporary ceasefire in January, a moment that symbolised brief hope amid the destruction.
Israel Defends Strike, Al Jazeera Rejects Claims
The Israel Defense Forces admitted to the strike but claimed Anas al-Sharif was actually a Hamas fighter disguised as a reporter. Military officials alleged he “served as the head of a terrorist cell in the Hamas terrorist organisation and was responsible for advancing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops.”
Details of Anas Al-Sharif released by Israel Defense Forces
Al Jazeera flatly rejected these accusations. The network called the attack a “targeted assassination” and another “blatant and premeditated attack on press freedom.” Managing editor Mohamed Moawad defended al-Sharif as a properly accredited journalist who gave the world its main window into Gaza’s reality.
“They were targeted in their tent, they weren’t covering from the front line,” Moawad told the BBC. “The fact is that the Israeli government is wanting to silence the coverage of any channel of reporting from inside Gaza.”
Warning Signs Were There
The killings happened despite months of warnings about threats to Anas al-Sharif’s safety. Back in July 2024, the Committee to Protect Journalists had called on world leaders to protect al-Sharif after Israeli officials began what Al Jazeera called a “campaign of incitement” against its reporters.
UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan had already said Israel’s allegations against al-Sharif lacked substance. The Committee to Protect Journalists had voiced serious concerns about the threats and warned an assassination attempt might follow.
Al-Sharif knew he was in danger. In July, he told the Committee to Protect Journalists he lived with the constant “feeling that I could be bombed and martyred at any moment.”
Journalism Under Attack in Gaza
This targeted Israeli air strike adds to what press freedom groups describe as systematic attacks on Gaza’s media. The Committee to Protect Journalists says 186 journalists and media workers have died in Gaza since October 7, 2023. This makes the current conflict one of the most dangerous for journalists in recent memory.
“Israel’s pattern of labelling journalists as militants without providing credible evidence raises serious questions about its intent and respect for press freedom,” said Sara Qudah, the CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa director. “Journalists are civilians and must never be targeted.”
The problem goes beyond individual attacks. Israel severely restricts international journalists from entering Gaza, making local reporters the primary source of information about the conflict. When those local journalists are killed or threatened, it creates what critics call an information blackout.
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Final Messages and Lasting Impact
Right before his death, Anas al-Sharif posted about “intense, concentrated Israeli bombardment using ‘fire belts'” across eastern and southern Gaza City. After news of his death broke, a posthumous message appeared on his social media account, apparently prepared beforehand.
Image: Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif
“This is my will and my final message. If these words of mine reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice,” the message read. “Allah knows I gave every effort and all my strength to be a support and a voice for my people.“
The message ended with a simple request: “Do not forget Gaza… And do not forget me in your righteous prayers for forgiveness and acceptance.“
The Gaza City bombing that killed five journalists shows just how dangerous it has become to report from the territory. The deaths of Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa alongside Anas al-Sharif highlight the price journalists pay to document this conflict.
International pressure is building for investigations into what appears to be deliberate targeting of media workers. The Al Jazeera journalists killed in Gaza join a growing list of reporters who died trying to tell the story of one of the region’s most devastating wars. Their deaths raise fundamental questions about whether journalists can safely do their job in modern warfare, and what happens to public understanding when they cannot.
