Latest news with #AnasJamalAlSharif
Khaleej Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Watch: Crowds of Gazans take to streets to mourn slain Al Jazeera journalists
A sea of people marched through the streets of Gaza on Monday, August 11, as residents of the open-air prison mourned the loss of five Al Jazeera journalists killed on late Sunday in an Israeli strike. Amid the silent weight of destruction, Gazans chanted prayers as they carried the slain journalists on their shoulders during the funeral procession. Videos shared by Al Jazeera journalist Hassan Salem Gaza show the mourners remembering Anas Jamal Al Sharif, who was one of the prominent journalists from the enclave. Anas is survived by his wife and two children. 'With our soul and blood, we sacrifice for you, Anas.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hassan Salem | ØسÙ� ساÙ�Ù� (@ The 28-year-old was among the five Al Jazeera journalists who died when a strike hit a tent near Shifa Hospital in eastern Gaza City, according to Gaza officials and the network. Alongside Al Sharif, Mohamemd Qreiqeh, cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, Moamen Aliwa, and their assistant Mohammed Noufal were also killed. A heartbreaking video shows Mohammed Qreiqeh's wife bidding a tearful farewell to her husband, as family members console her. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hassan Salem | ØسÙ� ساÙ�Ù� (@ Israel's military claimed Al Sharif was a Hamas cell leader, but rights advocates said Israel provided no evidence. Rights advocates, fellow journalists, and press freedom groups said he was targeted for his relentless frontline reporting, which made the war's devastation widely seen and deeply felt around the world. Faithful were seen carrying out funeral prayers for the five journalists, who were wrapped in the Palestinian flag, with a press vest placed gently near one of them. On the front lines of the crowd stood fellow colleagues of the martyred reporters, wearing press vests themselves as they prayed for the ones who were out on the field beside them just hours before. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hassan Salem | ØسÙ� ساÙ�Ù� (@ View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ahmed Hijazi اØÙ�د ØجازÙ� (@ahmedhijazee) Another clip shows the site where the colleagues were killed - a resting tent for journalist inside Gaza's Al Shifa hospital. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hassan Salem | ØسÙ� ساÙ�Ù� (@ War on press Gaza's 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. Journalists' groups and Al Jazeera denounced the killings. A press freedom group and a UN expert previously warned that Anas 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 militants 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. 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." 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. "Anas Al Sharif and his colleagues were among the last remaining voices in Gaza conveying the tragic reality to the world," Al Jazeera said.
Khaleej Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
'Do not forget Gaza': Al Jazeera journalist Anas Al Sharif leaves final message to world
When Al Jazeera's Anas Jamal Al Sharif stepped into Gaza's streets with a camera and microphone, he was not just reporting the news — he was documenting the life and death of his people in real time, often under fire. On Sunday (August 10), that mission came to an end when an Israeli airstrike killed him in Gaza City. The 28-year-old was among four Al Jazeera journalists and an assistant who died when a strike hit a tent near Shifa Hospital in eastern Gaza City, according to Gaza officials and the network. Two other people were also reported dead. Israel's military claimed Al Sharif was a Hamas cell leader, but rights advocates said Israel provided no evidence. Rights advocates, fellow journalists, and press freedom groups said he was targetted for his relentless frontline reporting, which made the war's devastation widely seen and deeply felt around the world. Fully aware of the dangers that came with his work, Al Sharif had prepared a final message — which he described as his 'final will' — to be published in the event of his death: a deeply personal and defiant message addressed to his family, his people, and the wider world. In his final message, which appeared on his social media after the airstrike, he said: "If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice. First, peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings." "Allah knows I gave every effort and all my strength to be a support and a voice for my people, ever since I opened my eyes to life in the alleys and streets of the Jabalia refugee camp," he wrote. 'My hope was that Allah would extend my life' In his will, Al Sharif expressed his lifelong hope of returning with his family to his original hometown of occupied Asqalan (Al-Majdal), a dream he said had been cut short by God's will. "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 — so that Allah may bear witness against those who stayed silent, those who accepted our killing, those who choked our breath, and whose hearts were unmoved by the scattered remains of our children and women," he added. In the statement, he entrusted Palestine itself to the conscience of the world, urging people 'not to let chains silence you, nor borders restrain you' in the struggle for liberation. He also left intimate appeals for the care of his loved ones — his wife Bayan, their young daughter Sham, their son Salah, and his mother, whose prayers he called his 'fortress.' His final words — 'Do not forget Gaza, and do not forget me in your sincere prayers' — have since been shared widely, resonating far beyond the strip's borders. The post closed with: 'This is what our beloved Anas requested to be published upon his martyrdom.' Check out his full message below: This is my will and my final message. If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice. First, peace be upon you and Allahâ��s mercy and blessings. — Ø£Ù�س اÙ�شرÙ�Ù� Anas Al-Sharif (@AnasAlSharif0) August 10, 2025 Tributes pouring His final message, which was also posted on Instagram, drew tributes from colleagues, friends, and strangers. Dr Omar Suleiman expressed deep grief and solidarity over the death of journalist Anas Al-Sharif, sharing the latter's final message. 'I've typed and deleted so many words to try to describe the pain, anger, and guilt. Just read his,' the American Islamic scholar and civil rights activist wrote, adding: 'We will miss you Anas. We bear witness to your sacrifice and against your murderer. May Allah have mercy on you and reunite you with all the pure souls before you.' Journalists killed in Israeli strikes Al Shariff's death adds to the growing list of Al Jazeera journalists who have died in Israeli strikes. In July 2024, Al Jazeera Arabic journalist Ismail al-Ghoul and his cameraman Rami al-Rifi were killed when an Israeli air attack struck their car in the Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, according to initial reports. In December 2023, Al Jazeera Arabic journalist Samer Abudaqa was killed and his colleague, veteran correspondent Wael Dahdouh, was wounded in an Israeli attack in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. The pair had been reporting from Farhana school when they were hit by an Israeli strike. In May 2022, veteran correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh was shot dead while covering an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Jenin — her death prompting global outrage and calls for accountability.
