Al Jazeera Media Network has accused the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of killing five of its journalists in an air strike near Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital. The broadcaster reported that correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, along with cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa, were in a tent for journalists at the hospital’s main gate when the strike hit. In a statement, Al Jazeera described the incident as a "targeted assassination" and "yet another blatant and premeditated attack on press freedom." Shortly after the strike, the IDF confirmed it had targeted

Al Jazeera Media Network has accused the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of killing five of its journalists in an air strike near Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital. The broadcaster reported that correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, along with cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa, were in a tent for journalists at the hospital’s main gate when the strike hit. In a statement, Al Jazeera described the incident as a "targeted assassination" and "yet another blatant and premeditated attack on press freedom." Shortly after the strike, the IDF confirmed it had targeted Anas al-Sharif, claiming in a Telegram post that he had "served as the head of a terrorist cell in Hamas." The IDF made no mention of the other journalists killed. According to Al Jazeera, a total of seven people died in the attack. The network initially said four of its staff were killed but later revised the number to five. Al Jazeera’s managing editor, Mohamed Moawad, told the BBC that al-Sharif was an accredited journalist and "the only voice" informing the world about events in Gaza. Throughout the war, Israel has not allowed international journalists into Gaza, leaving many news outlets dependent on local reporters for coverage. "They were targeted in their tent, they weren't covering from the front line," Moawad said, describing the strike. "The fact is that the Israeli government is wanting to silence the coverage of any channel of reporting from inside Gaza." This is not the first time Al Jazeera journalists have been killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza. In August last year, Ismael Al-Ghoul was killed in an air strike while sitting in his car. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), at least 186 journalists have been confirmed killed since the start of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza in October 2023. Israel launched its campaign after a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken. More than 61,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the offensive began, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the territory.

The IDF confirmed it had targeted Anas al-Sharif, claiming he had "served as the head of a terrorist cell in Hamas

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