On 10/8, the IDF launched an airstrike on a media tent outside the main gate of a hospital in the Gaza Strip, killing four Al Jazeera journalists: reporters Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, and cameramen Ibrahim Zaher and Mohammed Noufal. Two freelance journalists, Moamen Aliwa and Mohammad al-Khaldi, were also killed in the attack.
The attack sparked international outrage and condemnation from media organizations, the United Nations, the European Union, and several European countries.
Following the airstrike, Israel accused al-Sharif of being a Hamas member, claiming to have "proof" that he received a salary from the group. The IDF alleged that al-Sharif commanded a Hamas unit responsible for rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers.
IDF spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani stated that Israeli intelligence, which has been made public, shows al-Sharif joined Hamas's armed wing on 3/12/2024 and was in charge of a rocket launch team in northern Gaza. He reportedly received a fire team leader certificate on 1/1/2019, according to IDF documents.
The documents also allege that al-Sharif received a 200 USD monthly salary from Hamas. Lieutenant Colonel Shoshani described this as "a small part of the classified material and information the IDF collected about al-Sharif before the airstrike."
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People hold pictures of journalists Anas al-Sharif (left) and Mohamed Qreiqeh during a protest in the West Bank on 11/8. Photo: AP |
People hold pictures of journalists Anas al-Sharif (left) and Mohamed Qreiqeh during a protest in the West Bank on 11/8. Photo: AP
This explanation, however, fueled further public anger as the IDF made no mention of the 5 other journalists killed. AFP reported that al-Sharif was a familiar face among Al Jazeera's field reporters in Gaza, appearing on air daily to report from the territory.
Numerous countries and international organizations have called for a thorough investigation into the airstrike. On 13/8, when pressed by the media about why al-Sharif was targeted while with 5 colleagues, the IDF spokesperson said that "measures were taken to minimize civilian casualties during the airstrike."
An anonymous IDF official, speaking to the Times of Israel, accused some of the other journalists in the group of being members of armed groups in Gaza. The official did not specify which of the other 5 journalists were also suspected Hamas members.
The IDF also accused armed groups in Gaza of "systematically violating international law by using civilian facilities and civilians as human shields."
The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) expressed "horror" at the deaths of the 6 journalists in Gaza. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate described the airstrike as a "bloody assassination."
Relations between Israel and Al Jazeera have been strained for years. Tel Aviv banned the network from operating in Israel and raided its offices after the conflict in Gaza erupted.
Ngoc Anh (According to Times of Israel, AP)
