Israel kills Al Jazeera journalist Anas Al Sharif
Anas Al Sharif, 28, was among a group of four Al Jazeera journalists and an assistant who died in a strike on a tent near Shifa Hospital in eastern Gaza City, Gaza officials and Al Jazeera said.
An official at the hospital said two other people were also killed in the strike.
Calling Al Sharif 'one of Gaza's bravest journalists,' Al Jazeera said the attack was a 'desperate attempt to silence voices in anticipation of the occupation of Gaza.'
Al Sharif was the head of a Hamas cell and 'was responsible for advancing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF (Israeli) troops,' the Israeli military said in a statement, citing intelligence and documents found in Gaza as evidence.
Journalists' groups and Al Jazeera denounced the killings.
The other journalists killed were Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher and Mohammed Noufal, Al Jazeera said.
A press freedom group and a UN expert previously warned that Al Sharif's life was in danger due to his reporting from Gaza.
UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan said last month that Israel's claims against him were unsubstantiated.
Al Jazeera said Al Sharif had left a social media message to be posted in the event of his death that read, '…I never hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or misrepresentation, hoping that God would witness those who remained silent.'
Last October, Israel's military had named Al Sharif as one of six Gaza journalists it alleged were members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, citing documents it said showed lists of people who completed training courses and salaries.
'Al Jazeera categorically rejects the Israeli occupation forces' portrayal of our journalists as terrorists and denounces their use of fabricated evidence,' the network said in a statement at the time.
In a statement, the Committee to Protect Journalists, which in July urged the international community to protect Al Sharif, said Israel had failed to provide any evidence to back up its allegations against him.
'Israel's pattern of labeling journalists as fighters without providing credible evidence raises serious questions about its intent and respect for press freedom,' said Sara Qudah, CPJ's director for the Middle East and North Africa.
Al Sharif, whose X account showed more than 500,000 followers, posted on the platform minutes before his death that Israel had been intensely bombarding Gaza City for more than two hours.
Palestinian group Hamas, which runs Gaza, said the killing may signal the start of an Israeli offensive. 'The assassination of journalists and the intimidation of those who remain paves the way for a major crime that the occupation is planning to commit in Gaza City,' Hamas said in a statement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he would launch a new offensive to dismantle Hamas strongholds in Gaza, where a hunger crisis is escalating after 22 months of war.
Thousands protest in Tel Aviv against Israeli govt move to expand Gaza war
'Anas Al Sharif and his colleagues were among the last remaining voices in Gaza conveying the tragic reality to the world,' Al Jazeera said.
The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said 237 journalists have been killed since the war started on October 7, 2023.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said at least 186 journalists have been killed in the Gaza conflict.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
3 hours ago
- Business Recorder
New Zealand prime minister says Israel's Netanyahu has ‘lost the plot'
New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Wednesday that Israel's leader Benjamin Netanyahu had 'lost the plot' as the country weighs up whether to recognise a Palestinian state. Luxon told reporters that the lack of humanitarian assistance, the forceful displacement of people and the annexation of Gaza were utterly appalling and that Netanyahu had gone way too far. 'I think he has lost the plot,' added Luxon, who heads the centre-right coalition government. 'What we are seeing overnight, the attack on Gaza City, is utterly, utterly unacceptable.' Luxon said earlier this week New Zealand was considering whether to recognise a Palestinian state. Close ally Australia on Monday joined Canada, the UK and France in announcing it would do so at a UN conference in September. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached 'unimaginable levels', Britain, Canada, Australia and several of their European allies said on Tuesday, calling on Israel to allow unrestricted aid into the war-torn Palestinian enclave. Israel has denied responsibility for hunger spreading in Gaza, accusing Hamas militants of stealing aid shipments, which Hamas denies. Ahead of Wednesday's parliamentary session, a small number of protesters gathered outside the country's parliament buildings, beating pots and pans. Local media organisation Stuff reported protesters chanted 'MPs grow a spine, recognise Palestine.' On Tuesday, Greens parliamentarian Chloe Swarbrick was removed from parliament's debating chamber after she refused to apologise for a comment insinuating government politicians were spineless for not supporting a bill to 'sanction Israel for its war crimes.' Swarbrick was ordered to leave the debating chamber for a second day on Wednesday after she again refused to apologise. When she refused to leave, the government voted to suspend her. 'Sixty-eight members of this House were accused of being spineless,' House speaker Gerry Brownlee said. 'There has never been a time where personal insults like that delivered inside a speech were accepted by this House and I'm not going to start accepting it.' As Swarbrick left, she called out 'free Palestine.' Reuters
Business Recorder
6 hours ago
- Business Recorder
India PM Modi likely to meet Trump in US next month, newspaper reports
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to meet President Donald Trump during a visit to the United States next month to attend the UN General Assembly meeting, the Indian Express newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing sources. Reuters could not immediately verify the information outside business hours. The General Assembly kicks off on Sept 9, but the annual meeting of heads of state and government will be held from Sept 23-29. Although the reason for the potential visit will be to attend the UN meeting in New York, a key objective will be to hold talks with Trump and iron out trade and tariff issues that have led to some souring of ties between the two countries, the newspaper reported. News of a possible Modi trip to the U.S. comes days after Trump announced an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods to penalise New Delhi for continuing to buy Russian oil. The penalty took the total levy on Indian goods exported to the US to 50%, among the highest levied on any U.S. trading partner. In India, Trump's tariffs spark calls to boycott American goods Trade talks between New Delhi and Washington collapsed after five rounds of negotiations over disagreement on opening India's vast farm and dairy sectors and stopping Russian oil purchases. On Tuesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said several large trade agreements were still waiting to be completed, including with Switzerland and India, but New Delhi had been 'a bit recalcitrant' in talks with Washington. Bessent told Fox Business Network's 'Kudlow' he hoped the Trump administration could wrap up its trade negotiations by the end of October. 'That's aspirational, but I think we are in a good position,' he said, adding ' I think we can be, we will have agreed on substantial terms with all the substantial countries.'
Business Recorder
7 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Israel bombards Gaza City; Hamas leader visits Cairo in bid to salvage ceasefire talks
CAIRO: Israeli planes and tanks kept bombarding eastern areas of Gaza City overnight, killing at least 11 people, witnesses and medics said on Tuesday, with Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya arriving in Cairo for talks to revive a US-backed ceasefire plan. The latest round of indirect talks in Qatar ended in deadlock in late July with Israel and Palestinian group Hamas trading blame over the lack of progress on a U.S. proposal for a 60-day truce and hostage release deal. Israel has since said it will launch a new offensive and seize control of Gaza City, which it captured shortly after the war's outbreak in October 2023 before pulling out. Hamas' meetings with Egyptian officials, scheduled to begin on Wednesday, will focus on ways to stop the war, deliver aid, and 'end the suffering of our people in Gaza,' Hamas official Taher al-Nono said in a statement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to expand military control over Gaza, expected to be launched in October, has increased a global outcry over the widespread devastation, displacement and hunger afflicting Gaza's 2.2 million people. It has also stirred criticism in Israel, with the military chief of staff warning it could endanger surviving hostages and prove a death trap for Israeli soldiers. It has also raised fears of further displacement and hardship among the estimated one million Palestinians in the Gaza City region. Trump nominates State Dept spokeswoman Bruce as US deputy representative to UN Foreign ministers of 24 countries including Britain, Canada, Australia, France and Japan, said on Tuesday the humanitarian crisis in Gaza had reached 'unimaginable levels' and urged Israel to allow unrestricted aid into the enclave. Israel denies responsibility for hunger in Gaza, accusing Hamas of stealing aid. It says it has taken steps to increase deliveries, including pausing fighting for parts of the day in some areas and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. Ceasefire A Palestinian official with knowledge of the mediated ceasefire talks said Hamas was prepared to return to the negotiating table, and the leaders who were visiting Cairo on Tuesday would reaffirm that stance. 'Hamas believes negotiation is the only way to end the war and is open to discuss any ideas that would secure an end to the war,' the official, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters. However, the gaps between the sides appear to remain wide on key issues, including the extent of any Israeli military withdrawal and demands for Hamas to disarm. Disarmament conditions A Hamas official told Reuters on Tuesday the Islamist movement was ready to relinquish Gaza governance on behalf of a non-partisan committee, but it would not relinquish its arms before a Palestinian state is established. Netanyahu, whose far-right ultranationalist coalition allies want an outright Israeli takeover of all of Gaza, has vowed the war will not end until Hamas is eradicated. On Tuesday, Gaza's health ministry said that 89 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli fire in the past 24 hours. Witnesses and medics said Israeli bombardments overnight killed seven people in two houses in Gaza City's Zeitoun suburb and another four in an apartment building in the city centre. In the south of Gaza, five people, including a couple and their child, were killed by an Israeli airstrike on a house in the city of Khan Younis and four others by a strike on a tent encampment in nearby coastal Mawasi, medics said. The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports of the latest bombardments and that its forces take precautions to mitigate civilian harm. Separately, it said its forces had killed dozens of fighters in north Gaza over the past month and destroyed more tunnels used by Hamas group in the area. More deaths from starvation, malnutrition Five more people, including two children, have died of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza in the past 24 hours, the territory's health ministry said. The new deaths raised the number of deaths from the same causes to 227, including 103 children, since the war started, it added. Israel steps up Gaza City bombing after Netanyahu vow to expand offensive Israel disputes the malnutrition fatality figures reported by the health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel's offensive against Hamas in Gaza since then has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials.
