Istanbul, 11 Aug. 2025 (Anadolu)

The Gaza Government Media Office has denounced the killing of five journalists, including Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif and Mohamed Qraiqea, as a deliberate act by Israel intended to pave the way for a full occupation of Gaza City.

The journalists were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Sunday that targeted a media tent near Al-Shifa Hospital in western Gaza City. According to the media office, the strike was a “premeditated war crime” aimed at silencing media coverage and concealing evidence of past and future atrocities in the besieged enclave.

Al Jazeera Media Network condemned the attack, describing it as a “planned assassination” of its journalists. In its statement, the network said, “The killing of Anas al-Sharif and his colleagues was a desperate attempt to silence voices ahead of Israel’s planned occupation of Gaza.” It accused the Israeli military and government of inciting violence against its journalists and held them responsible for the deaths.

The Gaza media office reported that since October 7, 2023, at least 237 journalists have been killed during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. In addition to al-Sharif and Qraiqea, the other journalists killed in the strike were photojournalists Ibrahim Dahir and Moumin Alaywa, and assistant photojournalist Mohammed Noufal. Several others were injured.

While the Israeli army acknowledged killing al-Sharif, it did not address the deaths of the other journalists in the same attack.

Before his death, Anas al-Sharif left behind a will written on August 6, in which he expressed pride in his work and urged future generations to stand firm for Palestine. He called for care for his family and asked to be remembered in prayers, stating that he gave his life to serve the truth and his people.

Palestinian group Hamas condemned the killings as a “brutal crime” that reflects a collapse of international legal norms, attributing Israel’s actions to global silence and lack of accountability.

Israel continues to face international criticism over its war on Gaza, which has reportedly killed over 61,400 people. The country is under investigation by international courts for alleged war crimes and genocide related to its ongoing military operations in the enclave.