Anas Al Sharif, a well-known correspondent for Al Jazeera Arabic, was killed late Sunday in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City. Four other journalists also died in the same attack, Al Jazeera confirmed.

The strike happened near the main gate of al-Shifa Hospital, where many media workers were present. According to an official from Shifa Hospital, seven people were killed in total. The attack targeted a tent outside the hospital where journalists were gathered.

The Israeli military confirmed Al Sharif’s death but said he was “the head of a terrorist cell in the Hamas terrorist organisation” and was involved in planning rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers. “Anas Al Sharif 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,” the Israeli military said in a statement.

Al Jazeera also confirmed that correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh, camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa, as well as their assistant Mohammed Noufal, were killed in the same strike.

Last video before the strike

Just before the airstrike, Al Sharif posted on X about heavy bombing in Gaza City’s eastern and southern areas. In his final video, loud explosions could be heard, and flashes of orange light filled the night sky. His message read: “Non-stop bombing For the past two hours, the Israeli aggression on Gaza City has intensified.”

Palestinian journalist groups called the killings a serious attack on press freedom during the ongoing war. UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan had earlier warned that Al Sharif’s life was in danger, calling Israel’s claims against him “unsubstantiated”. The Committee to Protect Journalists also asked the international community to protect him in July.

The war began in October 2023 when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israel. Since then, Gaza health officials say more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks.

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