Israel kills Al Jazeera correspondent who posted final message about ‘those who stayed silent’

Israel killed five journalists in an airstrike in Gaza on Sunday night, according to news outlet Al Jazeera. The attack targeted a tent where the reporters were staying, also killing two other people.

Anas al-Sharif, a well-known Al Jazeera correspondent, was among those killed in the strike. The Palestinian journalist had shared a video showing Israel’s bombing of Gaza just before his death. Al-Sharif worked as a local reporter for the Qatari-owned network since foreign journalists cannot enter Gaza.

Before he died, al-Sharif posted what would be his final message on social media platform X. “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,” he wrote. “So that Allah may bear witness against those who stayed silent, those who accepted our killing.”

Israel claims journalist led Hamas cell

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed they carried out the airstrike. They said al-Sharif was not just a journalist but also headed a Hamas terrorist cell. Israeli forces claimed he led “advanced rocket attacks” against Israel.

Al Jazeera has repeatedly denied these claims about al-Sharif’s connections to Hamas. The United Nations special reporter for freedom of expression, Irene Khan, said last month that Israel’s accusations were not proven with evidence.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, an American group, condemned the attack. They said this was another example of Israel calling journalists militants without giving solid proof. The organization’s Regional Director, Sara Qudah, said in a statement that “journalists are civilians and must never be targeted.”

Since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, at least 186 journalists have been killed. The Committee to Protect Journalists says Israel was responsible for killing at least 178 of them. Israel has accused Al Jazeera of being a “mouthpiece” for Hamas and has killed other reporters from the network before.

Israel has banned foreign journalists from entering Gaza to report on the war. This has forced news organizations like Al Jazeera to rely on local Palestinian reporters to cover what is happening there. The recent killings add to growing concerns about the safety of journalists trying to report from the war zone.

The attack comes as Israel continues its military operations in Gaza despite losing support from many countries over the humanitarian crisis. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved a plan on Friday to take control of Gaza City. On Sunday, he said he expected to finish a new military offensive ‘fairly quickly,’ the kind of controversial political statements that often make headlines.”