Latest news with #journalists killed
BreakingNews.ie
a day ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Al Jazeera correspondents among journalists killed in Gaza City air strike
Israel's military has targeted a prominent Al Jazeera correspondent with an air strike, killing him, another journalist and at least six other people. Anas al-Sharif and his Al Jazeera colleague Mohamed Qureiqa were among those killed while sheltering outside the Gaza City Hospital complex late on Sunday. Advertisement Officials at Shifa Hospital confirmed the deaths and said the strike also killed four other journalists and two other people. It also damaged the entrance to the hospital complex's emergency building. People inspect the destroyed tent where journalists, including Al Jazeera correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohamed Qureiqa, were killed by an Israeli air strike (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Israel's military described Mr al-Sharif as the leader of a Hamas cell – an allegation that Al Jazeera and Mr al-Sharif had previously dismissed as baseless. The incident marked the first time during the war that Israel's military has swiftly claimed responsibility after a journalist was killed in a strike. It came less than a year after Israeli army officials first accused Mr al-Sharif and other Al Jazeera journalists of being members of the militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. In a July 24 video, Israel's army spokesman Avichay Adraee attacked Al Jazeera and accused Mr al-Sharif of being part of Hamas's military wing. Advertisement Al Jazeera called the strike a 'targeted assassination' and accused Israeli officials of incitement, connecting Mr al-Sharif's death to the allegations that both the broadcaster and correspondent had denied. 'Anas and his colleagues were among the last remaining voices from within Gaza, providing the world with unfiltered, on-the-ground coverage of the devastating realities endured by its people,' Al Jazeera said in a statement. The journalists are the latest to be killed in what observers have called the deadliest conflict for journalists in modern times (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Apart from rare invitations to observe Israeli military operations, international media have been barred from entering Gaza for the duration of the war. Al Jazeera is among the few outlets still fielding a big team of reporters inside the besieged strip, chronicling daily life amid air strikes, hunger and the rubble of destroyed neighbourhoods. The broadcaster has suffered heavy losses during the war, including 27-year-old correspondent Ismail al-Ghoul and cameraman Rami al-Rifi, killed last summer, and freelancer Hossam Shabat, killed in an Israeli air strike in March. Advertisement Like Mr al-Sharif, Mr Shabat was among the six that Israel accused of being members of militant groups last October. Hundreds of people, including many journalists, gathered on Monday to mourn Mr al-Sharif, Mr Qureiqa and their colleagues. Mr al-Sharif reported a nearby bombardment minutes before his death. In a social media post that Al Jazeera said was written to be posted in case of his death, he bemoaned the devastation and destruction that war had wrought and bid farewell to his wife, son and daughter. 'I never hesitated for a single day to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification,' the 28-year-old wrote. Advertisement The journalists are the latest to be killed in what observers have called the deadliest conflict for journalists in modern times. The Committee to Protect Journalists said on Sunday that at least 186 have been killed in Gaza. Mr al-Sharif began reporting for Al Jazeera a few days after war broke out. He was known for reporting on Israel's bombardment in northern Gaza, and later for the starvation gripping much of the territory's population. Mr Qureiqa, a 33-year-old Gaza City native, is survived by two children. Both journalists were separated from their families for months earlier in the war. When they managed to reunite during the ceasefire earlier this year, their children appeared unable to recognise them, according to video footage they posted at the time. Advertisement Israel's military claimed responsibility for the attack (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) In a July broadcast he cried on air as a woman behind him collapsed from hunger. 'I am talking about slow death of those people,' he said at the time. Al Jazeera is blocked in Israel and soldiers raided its offices in the occupied West Bank last year, ordering them to close. Mr al-Sharif's death comes weeks after the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said Israel had targeted him with a smear campaign. Irene Khan, the UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression, on July 31 said that the killings were 'part of a deliberate strategy of Israel to suppress the truth, obstruct the documentation of international crimes and bury any possibility of future accountability'. The Committee to Protect Journalists said on Sunday that it was appalled by the strike. 'Israel's pattern of labelling journalists as militants without providing credible evidence raises serious questions about its intent and respect for press freedom,' Sara Qudah, the group's regional director, said.
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Al Jazeera correspondent among journalists killed in Gaza City air strike
Israel's military has targeted a prominent Al Jazeera correspondent with an air strike, killing him, another journalist and at least six other people. Anas al-Sharif and his Al Jazeera colleague Mohamed Qureiqa were among those killed while sheltering outside the Gaza City Hospital complex late on Sunday. Advertisement Officials at Shifa Hospital confirmed the deaths and said the strike also killed four other journalists and two other people. It also damaged the entrance to the hospital complex's emergency building. People inspect the destroyed tent where journalists, including Al Jazeera correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohamed Qureiqa, were killed by an Israeli air strike (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Israel's military described Mr al-Sharif as the leader of a Hamas cell – an allegation that Al Jazeera and Mr al-Sharif had previously dismissed as baseless. The incident marked the first time during the war that Israel's military has swiftly claimed responsibility after a journalist was killed in a strike. It came less than a year after Israeli army officials first accused Mr al-Sharif and other Al Jazeera journalists of being members of the militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. In a July 24 video, Israel's army spokesman Avichay Adraee attacked Al Jazeera and accused Mr al-Sharif of being part of Hamas's military wing. Advertisement Al Jazeera called the strike a 'targeted assassination' and accused Israeli officials of incitement, connecting Mr al-Sharif's death to the allegations that both the broadcaster and correspondent had denied. 'Anas and his colleagues were among the last remaining voices from within Gaza, providing the world with unfiltered, on-the-ground coverage of the devastating realities endured by its people,' Al Jazeera said in a statement. The journalists are the latest to be killed in what observers have called the deadliest conflict for journalists in modern times (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) Mr al-Sharif reported a nearby bombardment minutes before his death. In a social media post that Al Jazeera said was written to be posted in case of his death, he bemoaned the devastation and destruction that war had wrought and bid farewell to his wife, son and daughter. 'I never hesitated for a single day to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification,' the 28-year-old wrote. Advertisement The journalists are the latest to be killed in what observers have called the deadliest conflict for journalists in modern times. The Committee to Protect Journalists said on Sunday that at least 186 have been killed in Gaza. Mr al-Sharif began reporting for Al Jazeera a few days after war broke out. He was known for reporting on Israel's bombardment in northern Gaza, and later for the starvation gripping much of the territory's population. In a July broadcast he cried on air as a woman behind him collapsed from hunger. 'I am talking about slow death of those people,' he said at the time. Advertisement Al Jazeera is blocked in Israel and soldiers raided its offices in the occupied West Bank last year, ordering them to close. Mr al-Sharif's death comes weeks after the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said Israel had targeted him with a smear campaign. 'Israel's pattern of labelling journalists as militants without providing credible evidence raises serious questions about its intent and respect for press freedom,' Sara Qudah, the group's regional director, said.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Israel kills Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza aistrike
Five Al Jazeera staff, including well-known Arabic correspondent Anas al-Sharif, have been killed in a targeted Israeli air strike in Gaza. Al Jazeera says its journalists Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh were killed along with camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa when Israel bombed a journalists' tent in Gaza City, near Al-Shifa Hospital. The attack killed the whole of Al Jazeera's reporting team in Gaza City. "Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif has been killed alongside three colleagues in what appears to be a targeted Israeli attack, the director of 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 reported extensively from northern Gaza." Israel had been openly threatening to target al-Sharif for several weeks, claiming he was a Hamas operative, which al-Sharif and Al Jazeera had denied. Israel's military said it had struck an Al Jazeera correspondent in Gaza, calling him a "terrorist" who "posed as a journalist". "A short while ago, in Gaza City, the IDF struck the terrorist Anas Al-Sharif, who posed as a journalist for the Al Jazeera network. 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 military said on Telegram. Just before his death, al-Sharif posted on social media about relentless bombings around Gaza City. Another message was posted on his X account after the bombing, saying "This was what our dear beloved Anas requested to be published upon his martyrdom". "This is my will and my final message. If these words of mine reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice," the post reads. "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." The post ends: "Do not forget Gaza … And do not forget me in your righteous prayers for forgiveness and acceptance." Weeks ago, the Al Jazeera network denounced the Israeli military for what it called a "campaign of incitement" against its reporters in Gaza, especially al-Sharif. "The Network considers this incitement a dangerous attempt to justify the targeting of its journalists in the field," it said. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) previously said it was "deeply alarmed" by threats and smears made by Israel against al-Sharif, and called on the international community to protect him, predicting an assassination attempt would be made. Palestinian journalists' groups have also condemned the killings. 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 Israel's claims against him were unsubstantiated. In July, the Committee to Protect Journalists urged the international community to protect al-Sharif. The CPJ says at least 186 journalists and media workers have been killed inside Gaza during the war, since October 7 2023. ABC with wires
