Five Al Jazeera Journalists Killed in Israeli Strike in Gaza Strip. Israel Claims One Was a Hamas Terrorist, Al Jazeera Denies Allegations and Calls it an Attack on Press Freedom.
Gaza Attack: The violent conflict between Israel and Hamas continues unabated in the Gaza Strip. During this conflict, five journalists from Al Jazeera News Channel were killed in an Israeli strike near the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Al Jazeera has officially confirmed the incident and described it as a direct attack on press freedom. This incident occurred at a time when journalists in Gaza are already facing serious threats to their safety.
Tent Outside Al-Shifa Hospital Targeted
Al Jazeera reported that the journalists killed were residing in a tent set up for the press outside the main gate of Al-Shifa Hospital. This tent was used by journalists for rest and coordination between reporting. The Israeli army targeted this very tent. All the journalists were present there at the time of the attack and died on the spot.
Identification of the Journalists Killed
The journalists killed in the attack include Al Jazeera correspondents Anas Al-Sharif and Mohammed Qariqa, as well as cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Moamen Aliwa, and Mohammed Noufal. All these journalists were providing ground coverage of the situation in Gaza and were continuously reporting live on the attacks. According to Al Jazeera, all were professional journalists and were working to provide accurate information from the war zone.
Israel's Allegation – Al-Sharif Was Not a Journalist, but a Hamas Terrorist
Immediately after the attack, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement acknowledging the targeting of Anas Al-Sharif. The IDF claims that Al-Sharif pretended to be a journalist but was actually a member of Hamas. According to Israel, he was the head of a Hamas terrorist cell and was involved in rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers.
Statements and Allegations on Social Media
On social media platform X, the IDF wrote that "Hamas terrorist Anas Al-Sharif, who presented himself as an Al Jazeera journalist, was actually the head of a Hamas terrorist group. He carried out rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers." The IDF further stated that a press badge cannot be a shield for terrorism and that terrorist activities under the guise of journalism will not be tolerated.
Evidence from Intelligence Documents
The IDF also claimed that intelligence documents obtained from Gaza confirm this allegation. These include Hamas' roster, terrorist training lists, and salary records. According to Israel, all these documents prove that Al-Sharif was associated with Hamas, and the Al Jazeera platform was helping him hide terrorism.
Al Jazeera's Response
Al Jazeera has completely rejected Israel's allegations. The channel says that its journalists were reporting independently and professionally. Al Jazeera has described this attack as a serious threat to press freedom and said that it is a violation of international standards. The channel has appealed to the international community to ensure the safety of journalists in war zones.
