UPDATE: FIVE AL JAZEERA JOURNALISTS KILLED IN ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE ON GAZA

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BY OWOLABI OLUWADARA

Five Al Jazeera journalists, including notable correspondent Anas al-Sharif, have lost their lives in a targeted Israeli strike near al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

Sharif and another reporter, Mohammed Qreiqeh, along with cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa were located in a tent designated for journalists at the hospital’s main entrance when it was attacked, as reported by the network.

The “deliberate assassination” on Sunday represented “yet another overt and premeditated attack on press freedom,” the broadcaster stated. The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed its indignation regarding the incident.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) admitted it had specifically targeted Sharif, claiming he had “operated as the leader of a terrorist cell within Hamas. ”

The IDF also asserted that he had “carried out advanced rocket assaults on Israeli civilians and IDF personnel” and referenced Hamas documents purportedly indicating his participation in one of the organization’s units in 2019.

However, the CPJ noted that Israel had not provided evidence to substantiate its claims.

“This is a recurring pattern we have observed from Israel not only during the current conflict but over the past decades, where typically a journalist is killed by Israeli forces, and afterward Israel claims they are a terrorist, yet offers little evidence to support those assertions,” the statement read.

Al Jazeera’s managing editor, Mohamed Moawad, informed the BBC that Sharif was an accredited journalist who served as “the sole voice” for the world to comprehend the events occurring in the Gaza Strip.

Throughout the conflict, Israel has restricted international journalists from entering Gaza to report without limitations. As a result, numerous media organizations rely on local correspondents for their coverage.

“They were targeted in their tent; they were not reporting from the front lines,” Moawad commented regarding the Israeli attack.

“The reality is that the Israeli administration seeks to silence the reporting from any media outlet operating within Gaza,” he continued.

“This is an occurrence I have not witnessed before in contemporary history. ”

Salah Negm, the director of Al Jazeera English, stated that Al Jazeera is aware of the backgrounds and training of its journalists, asserting that they understand “the content they produce and we scrutinize it through multiple sources. ”

Sharif, 28, appeared to be posting on X moments before his death, alerting others to the intense Israeli bombardment occurring in Gaza City. A post shared after his death seems to have been pre-written and disseminated by a colleague.

Some individuals called out Qreiqeh’s name, while a man wearing a media vest indicated that one of the deceased is Sharif.

In total, seven individuals perished in the strike, according to Al Jazeera. The broadcaster initially reported that four of its personnel had been killed but later revised the count to five a few hours afterward.

Medical personnel at al-Shifa Hospital informed Reuters on Monday that local freelance journalist Mohammad Al-Khaldi had also died in the assault, raising the total number of journalists killed in the same attack to six.
In the previous month, the Al Jazeera Media Network, in collaboration with the United Nations and the Committee to Protect Journalists, disseminated distinct statements warning that Sharif’s life was endangered and advocating for his safeguarding.

IDF spokesperson Avichai Adraee shared a video in July featuring Sharif on X, accusing him of having connections with Hamas’s military wing.

Irene Khan, a UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression, characterized this as “an unfounded accusation” and a “brazen attack on journalists. “