Violent Israeli Airstrike Claims Lives of Journalists in Gaza
A deadly Israeli strike on Al Jazeera staff in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of six individuals, including a Palestinian freelance journalist, according to reports from the civil defence agency and a hospital director. The incident occurred on Sunday, targeting the network’s tent outside the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, reports 24brussels.
Among the five Al Jazeera staff members killed in the strike was notable reporter Anas al-Sharif. The Israeli military confirmed it had specifically targeted Sharif, labeling him a “terrorist” linked to Hamas, asserting that he “posed as a journalist.”
Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for Gaza’s civil defence agency, reported that photojournalist Mohammed Al-Khaldi succumbed to his wounds sustained in the airstrike. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa hospital, confirmed Khaldi’s death on Monday, stating it was “due to his injuries.”
“With his death, the number of journalists martyred rises to six,” Salmiya added. Khaldi was known as a freelance journalist who occasionally collaborated with local media outlets.
Since the onset of the conflict ignited by Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, nearly 200 journalists have lost their lives, according to the press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
The UN human rights agency condemned the targeted killings of journalists in Gaza, labeling it a “grave breach of international humanitarian law.” In a statement, the office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk emphasized, “Israel must respect and protect all civilians, including journalists.” It has been reported that at least 242 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since the escalation of violence following the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023.
