5 Al Jazeera journalists killed in Israeli airstrike in Gaza

Five Al Jazeera journalists were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Sunday evening (August 10) after a missile struck a tent designated for media personnel outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, according to hospital authorities.

The journalists—Anas Al-Sharif, 28, Mohammed Qreiqeh, camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa — were among a group reporting from one of the last functioning zones in Gaza amid ongoing Israeli bombardment.

Al-Sharif, a veteran correspondent with extensive coverage in northern Gaza, had reported just moments earlier on intensified Israeli air raids in the eastern and southern parts of the Strip, reports Al Jazeera.

Shortly before his death, Al-Sharif posted on social media detailing a “massive bombardment” in the area. His final video captured a powerful explosion lighting up the night sky with an orange flash.

Following the strike, the Israeli military claimed Al-Sharif was a commander in a Hamas-affiliated unit and that his presence at the site constituted a “legitimate target.” The military said it had “conclusive intelligence” to support its claim but did not provide evidence publicly.

Human rights advocates and media watchdogs swiftly condemned the incident. Mohamed Shehada, a senior analyst at the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, rejected the Israeli military’s allegations, stating that Al-Sharif “was doing what he always did—reporting live from the ground. His death is part of a broader pattern of targeting journalists in Gaza.”

In a statement, the Al Jazeera Media Network strongly condemned the killing of its journalists and called for an immediate, transparent, and independent investigation. “The deliberate targeting of media professionals is a grave violation of international law and press freedom,” the network said.