[UPDATED] Israeli strike kills five Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza

New Straits Times

6 days ago

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Al Jazeera said two of its correspondents, including a prominent on-air talent, and three cameramen were killed in an Israeli strike on their tent in Gaza City on Sunday.
The Israeli military admitted in a statement to targeting Anas al-Sharif, the reporter it labelled as a "fighter" affiliated with Hamas.
The attack was the latest to see journalists targeted in the 22-month war in Gaza, with around 200 media workers killed over the course of the conflict, according to media watchdogs.
"Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif has been killed alongside three colleagues in what appears to be a targeted Israeli attack, the director of the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City has said," the Qatar-based broadcaster said.
"Al-Sharif, 28, was killed on Sunday after a tent for journalists outside the main gate of the hospital was hit. The well-known Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent reportedly extensively from northern Gaza."
The channel said that five of its staff members were killed during the strike on a tent in Gaza City, listing the others as Mohammed Qreiqeh along with camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa.
According to local journalists, Noufal was a driver for the team who also assisted in filming.
The Israeli military confirmed that it had targeted the journalists, saying it had struck an Al Jazeera's Al-Sharif, calling him a "fighter" who "posed as a journalist".
"A short while ago, in Gaza City, the IDF struck Anas Al-Sharif, who posed as a journalist for the Al Jazeera network," it said on Telegram, using an acronym for the military.
"Anas Al-Sharif served as the head of a cell in the Hamas organisation and was responsible for advancing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops," it added.
Al-Sharif was one of the channel's most recognisable faces working on the ground in Gaza, providing daily reports in regular coverage.
The Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate condemned what it described as a "bloody crime" of assassination.
Israel and Al Jazeera have had a contentious relationship for years, with Israeli authorities banning the channel in the country and raiding its offices following the latest war in Gaza.
Qatar, which partly funds Al Jazeera, has hosted an office for the Hamas political leadership for years and been a frequent venue for indirect talks between Israel and the group.
With Gaza sealed off, many media groups around the world depend on photo, video and text coverage of the conflict provided by Palestinian reporters to international news agencies such as AFP.
Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in early July that more than 200 journalists had been killed in Gaza since the war began, including several Al Jazeera journalists.
International criticism is growing over the plight of the more than two million Palestinian civilians in Gaza, with UN agencies and rights groups warning that a famine is unfolding in the territory.
The targeted strike comes as Israel announced plans to expand its military operations on the ground in Gaza, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying on Sunday that the new offensive was set to target the remaining Hamas strongholds there.
He also announced a plan to allow more foreign journalists to report inside Gaza with the military, as he laid out his vision for victory in the territory during a rare press conference.
A UN official warned the Security Council that Israel's plans to control Gaza City risked "another calamity" with far-reaching consequences.