Palestinian journalist Anas al-Sharif, along with four of his colleagues-- Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa-- was killed by Israel in a targeted attack on Sunday. According to international broadcaster Al Jazeera, for which the journalists worked, its staff members were killed during a strike on a tent near the al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
The strike also killed a Palestinian freelance journalist, the civil defence agency and a hospital director said Monday, bringing the death toll to six.
29-year-old Anas al-Sharif was one of the channel's prominent faces in Gaza, relentlessly reporting Israel's genocidal war, despite the worsening conditions in the enclave and open threats to his life.
In July, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued a statement calling for his protection as it highlighted the Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee's online attacks on the reporter, alleging he was a "Hamas terrorist."
In a statement following the attack on Anas and his colleagues, the CPJ said it was "appalled" to learn of the journalists' deaths.
"Israel's pattern of labelling journalists as militants without providing credible evidence raises serious questions about its intent and respect for press freedom. Journalists are civilians and must never be targeted. Those responsible for these killings must be held accountable," CPJ's MENA Regional Director, Sara Qudah, said in a statement.
Anas became the face of Palestinian journalism for the outside world while being celebrated as a hero by the people of Gaza, as he reported through the genocidal war, reflecting the pain, exhaustion, and ambitions of the enclave. In one of the most striking visuals of Anas's reportage from Gaza, he can be seen removing his press helmet and vest as he delightfully informs the world of the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in January 2025. Anas was also seen breaking down in front of the camera on several instances as he reported the suffering of his people.
In a "final message" posted on his X handle on August 11, 2025, amid the death threats, Anas called on the world to speak up for his land and its people.
"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 Allah’s mercy and blessings," he wrote.
Describing his dream to return to his homeland, Anas wrote, "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. My hope was that Allah would extend my life so I could return with my family and loved ones to our original town of occupied Asqalan (Al-Majdal). But Allah’s will came first, and His decree is final."
"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, doing nothing to stop the massacre that our people have faced for more than a year and a half," the journalist wrote.
"I entrust you with Palestine—the jewel in the crown of the Muslim world, the heartbeat of every free person in this world. I entrust you with its people, with its wronged and innocent children who never had the time to dream or live in safety and peace. Their pure bodies were crushed under thousands of tons of Israeli bombs and missiles, torn apart and scattered across the walls," he said.
"I urge you not to let chains silence you, nor borders restrain you. Be bridges toward the liberation of the land and its people, until the sun of dignity and freedom rises over our stolen homeland. I entrust you to take care of my family. I entrust you with my beloved daughter Sham, the light of my eyes, whom I never got the chance to watch grow up as I had dreamed," he added.
"Do not forget Gaza… And do not forget me in your sincere prayers for forgiveness and acceptance," he repeated.
"Anas Al Sharif was born in 1996. He was 4 when the Second Intifada began in 2000. He was 11 when Israel imposed the blockade on Gaza in 2007. He was 12 during Cast Lead in 2008-2009. He was 18 during the 2014 assault on Gaza. He was 29 when Israel assassinated him in 2025," writer Jehad Abusalim said in an X post condemning Anas's killing.
In a statement condemning the attack, Al Jazeera described Anas as "one of Gaza's bravest journalists."
"This attack comes amid the catastrophic consequences of the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza, which has seen the relentless slaughter of civilians, forced starvation, and the obliteration of entire communities. The order to assassinate Anas Al Sharif, one of Gaza's bravest journalists, and his colleagues, is a desperate attempt to silence the voices exposing the impending seizure and occupation of Gaza," the media network said.
"As Al Jazeera Media Network bids farewell to yet another group of its finest journalists, who boldly and courageously documented the plight of Gaza and its people since the onset of the war, it holds the Israeli occupation forces and government responsible for deliberately targeting and assassinating its journalists. This follows repeated incitement and calls by multiple Israeli officials and spokespersons to target the fearless journalist Anas Al Sharif and his colleagues," the statement read.
Calling on the international community to act against the targeting of journalists in Gaza, Al Jazeera said, "While vehemently condemning these heinous crimes and the ongoing attempts by Israeli authorities to silence the truth, Al Jazeera Media Network calls on the international community and all relevant organisations to take decisive measures to halt this ongoing genocide and end the deliberate targeting of journalists. Al Jazeera emphasises that immunity for perpetrators and the lack of accountability embolden Israel's actions and encourage further oppression against witnesses to the truth."
Israel has so far killed at least 270 journalists in Gaza, mostly in targeted attacks, while also blocking international coverage of its genocidal war on the enclave.
"When western journalists claim that the only way to know what's going on in Gaza is to send them in, they must know that they will never, ever reach the calibre and bravery and tenacity and professionalism of Palestinian journalists systematically murdered by Israel one by one," Al Jazeera journalist Linah Alsaafin wrote in a post on X.
Slamming international media coverage of the killing of the journalists in Gaza, Palestinian writer and journalist Hamza Yusuf wrote, "The BBC, Sky News, LBC, Guardian, Times, Telegraph, Independent, Financial Times, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN etc - every single Western mainstream media outlet has the blood of Anas al-Sharif on their hands. Every single one."
The director of al-Shifa Hospital said Israel has killed the journalists to prevent the coverage of atrocities it intends to carry out in the coming days, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed the complete occupation of Gaza.
"The occupation (Israel) is preparing for a major massacre in Gaza, but this time without sound or image,” Dr Mohammed Abu Salmiya was quoted as saying by Anadolu news agency.
"It wants to kill and displace the largest number of Palestinians in Gaza City, but this time in the absence of the voice of Anas, Mohamed, Al Jazeera, and all satellite channels," he said.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military admitted targeting the journalists, repeating its allegation that they were associated with Hamas.
"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 Israeli military claimed in a statement on Telegram.