Israel Targets Prominent Palestinian Journalist Anas Al-Sharif, Killing Him and Three Colleagues Amidst Calls for Accountability and Freedom of the Press

In January, during a ceasefire in Gaza, journalist Anas Al-Sharif, a prominent figure in Palestinian media, disarmed on live television, marking an end to the turmoil of over two million residents in the enclave. However, seven months later, Israel struck and killed Al-Sharif along with four of his colleagues in Gaza City.

Al-Sharif, a native of Jabalya, gained recognition as the face of the Gaza story for millions when international media outlets were barred from accessing the territory by Israel. Prior to the conflict, he was largely unknown, but quickly became a household name in the Arab world due to his daily coverage of the ongoing conflict and its humanitarian impact.

His reports offered raw, first-hand accounts of critical moments in the conflict, including temporary ceasefires, hostage releases, and harrowing stories of starvation that shocked the global community.

Al Jazeera hired Al-Sharif in December 2023 following the viral spread of his social media footage detailing Israeli strikes in his hometown. Initially hesitant to appear on air, he was persuaded by colleagues to front his reports, describing the experience as “indescribable.”

“I had never even appeared on a local channel let alone an international one,” he said in February. “The person who was happiest was my late father.” Tragically, Al-Sharif’s father was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Jabalya shortly after the journalist began appearing on Al Jazeera.

A devoted family man and father of two, he appeared nearly every day on the channel since joining. He described his journalistic journey as a challenging one, sleeping in various locations including hospitals, streets, ambulances, shelters, and warehouses with displaced people.

After removing his protective gear on air in January, he was celebrated by jubilant crowds who lifted him onto their shoulders. At the time, he paid tribute to colleagues killed and injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza during a live broadcast.

Al-Sharif’s reports drew attention from the Israeli military, which reportedly warned him to cease his work for Al Jazeera, a network that had already lost several staff members due to Israeli actions in Gaza.

“Minutes later, the room I was reporting from was struck,” he said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not respond to requests for comment.

Israel first accused Al-Sharif of being linked to Hamas ten months prior. However, the reason for targeting him now remains unclear. In a statement confirming his targeted killing, the IDF accused Al-Sharif of leading a Hamas cell in Gaza that orchestrated attacks on Israeli civilians and forces.

In October 2024, the Israeli military published documents they claimed provided “unequivocal proof” of Al-Sharif’s ties to Hamas and named five other Al Jazeera journalists who were allegedly part of the militant group. These accusations were denied by the journalist himself and Irene Khan, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression.

“I reaffirm: I, Anas Al-Sharif, am a journalist with no political affiliations. My only mission is to report the truth from the ground – as it is, without bias,” he wrote last month. “At a time when a deadly famine is ravaging Gaza, speaking the truth has become, in the eyes of the occupation, a threat.”

Following his killing, the IDF’s Arabic spokesperson released several pictures of Al-Sharif with Yahya Sinwar, the late Hamas leader. Al-Sharif was killed in a tent marked with a ‘Press’ sign near the entrance to Al-Shifa Hospital on Sunday. The strike also killed at least six others, according to hospital director Dr. Mohammad Abu Salmiya.

Al Jazeera confirmed the deaths of correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh, photojournalists Ibrahim Al Thaher and Moamen Aliwa, and staff member Mohammed Noufal in addition to Al-Sharif.

The journalist’s death prompted condemnations from rights groups and officials, with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) expressing “appall” at Israel’s targeting of journalists without providing credible evidence. The CPJ reported that 192 journalists have been killed since the beginning of the war nearly two years ago, with 184 of those being Palestinians killed by Israel.

Since the start of the war, Israel has not allowed international journalists to enter Gaza to report independently. Just hours before the strike that killed Al-Sharif and his colleagues, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that foreign journalists would now be allowed into Gaza, but only with Israeli military approval and accompaniment, a policy that has been in place since the beginning of the war.

Al Jazeera, based in Qatar, is one of the few global news outlets broadcasting live from Gaza during the conflict, unlike others that primarily rely on local freelance journalists. As one of the most watched channels in the Arab world, its continuous coverage of Gaza has drawn a significant viewership among Palestinians and Arabic-speaking audiences.

The network’s YouTube channel boasts over 21 million subscribers and nearly 16 billion views, with a live stream that attracts millions of viewers. Al-Sharif gained prominence within the network as many of its well-known journalists in Gaza were killed or injured by Israeli strikes. Walid Al Dahdouh, the former Gaza bureau chief, was evacuated to Qatar after sustaining injuries and losing most of his family.

Al-Sharif then emerged as a roving reporter across Gaza, providing Al Jazeera with live updates from the north of the enclave. He also regularly posted videos on his Telegram channel highlighting the toll of the war on Palestinians.

Last year, Israel banned Al Jazeera from operating in the country under a sweeping new wartime law that allows the Israeli government to ban foreign media organizations deemed “harmful” to national security.

Al-Sharif was buried in Gaza on Monday in a funeral attended by large crowds of Palestinian mourners. Anticipating his own death, Al-Sharif had written a will that was released by his colleagues after he was killed.

“I have lived through pain in all its details, tasted suffering and loss many times, yet I never once hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification… If I die, I die steadfast upon my principles,” he wrote. “Do not forget Gaza… and do not forget me in your sincere prayers for forgiveness and acceptance.”