Prominent Al Jazeera Journalist and Four Colleagues killed in Israel Airstrike in Gaza

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1310 EAT on Monday 11 August 2025

Funeral processions are under way for the journalists killed in an Israeli airstrike last night. Their bodies were transported from the al-Shifa Medical Complex—where they lost their lives—to their family homes for burial.

Speaking about the five journalists killed in a recent Israeli airstrike, correspondent Moawad said they “died where they slept” between reporting assignments.

Moawad described the incident as “shocking,” accusing the Israeli military of deliberately targeting journalists whose work has been independently verified by media organizations worldwide.

He also claimed that his colleagues — and the broader news outlet they represent — have faced a sustained “smear campaign” by the Israeli government since the start of the war.

Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have repeatedly accused the outlet of acting as a propaganda tool for Hamas — allegations Moawad strongly rejects.

In response to questions about journalist Anas Sharif’s alleged ties to Hamas, Moawad dismissed the accusations, stating: “Anas was doing one thing — he was reporting and giving voice to the voiceless inside the city of Gaza.”

“He is the only voice left inside Gaza City,” he added.

The Israeli military has claimed that journalist Anas al-Sharif was a “terrorist,” stating in a recent statement that it possesses documents that “unequivocally prove” his affiliation with Hamas.

The allegation stands in stark contrast to al-Sharif’s established record as a journalist. A Palestinian reporter based in Gaza, al-Sharif had been working for a major international news outlet well before the start of the war on October 7 — and before Israel sealed Gaza’s borders, restricting access to foreign reporters.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a graphic purporting to show al-Sharif’s involvement in Hamas activities. However, the evidence presented has not been independently verified and, to some observers, appears unconvincing.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 186 journalists have been killed since the beginning of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. The targeting and deaths of journalists continue to raise alarm across the international media community.

While journalists in Gaza have long faced threats to their safety, the killing of five media workers in a recent strike is being seen by many as a significant escalation — one that signals Israel’s doubling down on its allegations. These claims have been consistently denied, denounced, and dismissed by their employer.

For many, the deaths underscore the increasingly dangerous environment for journalists in Gaza and the urgent need for independent investigations into attacks on the press.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that 186 journalists have been confirmed killed since the start of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza in October 2023 — the highest number recorded in any single conflict since the organization began tracking journalist fatalities in 1992.

“This has been the deadliest period for journalists in CPJ’s history,” the group said in a statement released Sunday.

The organization highlighted the extreme and often fatal risks journalists face in Gaza, citing “relentless Israeli airstrikes, the destruction of most of the territory’s infrastructure, the forced displacement of 90% of Gaza’s population, trauma, and widespread famine.”

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