Five Al Jazeera journalists, including well-known correspondent Anas al-Sharif, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a journalists’ tent in Gaza City on Sunday. The Israeli military confirmed it carried out the strike, accusing al-Sharif of being a Hamas operative who “posed as a journalist” and led a terrorist cell responsible for rocket attacks.

Al Jazeera condemned the killings as a “targeted assassination” aimed at silencing independent reporting from Gaza, where international media access remained heavily restricted. The strike was one of the deadliest incidents for the network since the war began nearly two years earlier, during which over 200 media workers had been killed, according to press freedom groups.

Al Jazeera confirmed that five of its staff died in the Gaza City attack, including correspondent Anas al-Sharif, fellow reporter Mohammed Qreiqeh, and camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa. The group had been sheltering in a tent opposite Al-Shifa Medical Complex, a location long used by media crews. Al-Sharif, 28, was one of the most recognisable Arabic-language reporters covering the conflict, known for his frontline reports from northern Gaza.

Hours before his death, he had posted footage on X showing nearby Israeli strikes. The killings increased concerns about journalist safety in Gaza, where most coverage came from local reporters because foreign media were not allowed to enter without an Israeli military escort.

In a statement, the Israel Defence Forces described Anas al-Sharif as a “Hamas terrorist” who used journalism as cover. They said intelligence from Gaza, including rosters, training records, and salary documents, proved his affiliation.

According to the IDF, al-Sharif led a Hamas cell that organised rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and troops. “A press badge isn’t a shield for terrorism,” the statement read. The military also accused Al Jazeera of integrating Hamas operatives into its reporting teams. Israel had long accused the Qatar-based network of bias, while Al Jazeera said such claims were politically motivated attempts to justify attacks on its journalists.

Al Jazeera condemned the strike as a “blatant and premeditated assault” on press freedom. The network said Israel deliberately targeted its journalists after repeated incitement by Israeli officials. It stated that the slain reporters were among the last remaining in Gaza, providing live and uncensored coverage of the humanitarian crisis. The broadcaster warned that the killings were part of a broader campaign to “silence the truth” about the war.

Calling for urgent international action, Al Jazeera argued that allowing such attacks to go unpunished would encourage further violence and urged governments to pressure Israel to stop targeting media workers.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said it was “appalled” by the killings, warning that Israel’s practice of branding reporters as militants without public evidence raised “serious questions about its respect for press freedom.” CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah emphasised that journalists were civilians and must never be targeted.

Reporters Without Borders noted that more than 200 journalists had been killed in Gaza since the war began, making it one of the deadliest conflicts for media in recent decades. Both organisations called for an independent investigation into the strike and for stronger protection of reporters working in conflict zones.

Israel and Al Jazeera had a tense relationship for years. The Israeli government had banned the network from operating in the country, accused it of incitement, and raided its offices. The latest war in Gaza had worsened tensions, with Al Jazeera often challenging Israeli accounts of military operations. Qatar, which funded the network, also hosted Hamas political leaders and had mediated indirect talks between Israel and Hamas. Critics said this increased Israeli mistrust of the channel, while supporters argued it remained one of the few outlets providing on-the-ground coverage from Gaza.

With Gaza closed to most international journalists, global news organisations relied heavily on local reporters like al-Sharif. These journalists worked under extreme danger, without the protection given to embedded foreign correspondents. Many lived under constant bombardment while facing shortages of food, water, and medical care. The deaths of prominent figures such as al-Sharif further reduced the flow of independent reporting from the enclave.

UN agencies and human rights groups warned that the loss of these voices left the world dependent on official statements and reduced scrutiny of military actions.

Before the strike, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had addressed foreign media, defending Israel’s expanded military operations in Gaza. He insisted that Israel must “finish the job” by dismantling Hamas strongholds not only in Gaza City but also in the central refugee camps and Muwasi.

Netanyahu promised “safe zones” for civilians, although similar areas had been bombed in the past. He also announced plans to bring more foreign journalists into Gaza under military supervision. Critics, including the UN, warned that the expansion risked worsening the humanitarian disaster in the territory, which was already suffering from severe food shortages and mass displacement.

The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting following Netanyahu’s announcement, but no concrete action was agreed. The United States defended Israel’s right to act against Hamas, rejecting allegations of genocide. China condemned the “collective punishment” of Gaza’s population, while Russia warned against a “reckless intensification” of hostilities.

UN humanitarian official Ramesh Rajasingham said starvation was already taking place, with conditions “beyond horrific.” Rights groups argued that targeting journalists undermined transparency and accountability, making independent reporting even more important.

Gaza’s health ministry reported more than 61,000 Palestinians had been killed since the war began, with roughly half being women and children. The conflict had displaced most of Gaza’s population and pushed parts of the territory into famine. The ministry said at least 100 children and 117 adults had died from malnutrition-related causes since June. Aid delivery remained chaotic, with reports of gunfire near distribution sites. Israel denied pursuing a policy of starvation, blaming shortages on Hamas. Humanitarian agencies said access restrictions and ongoing fighting were preventing enough aid from reaching civilians.

Palestinian officials, press freedom advocates, and humanitarian organisations called for the killings of al-Sharif and his colleagues to be investigated as war crimes. They argued the strike was part of a broader effort to silence journalists who documented alleged abuses.

Al Jazeera said its slain reporters embodied the “courage and resilience” of Gaza’s press, working despite personal risk to show the war’s impact. As the conflict neared its second year, the network warned that without independent witnesses, the humanitarian crisis would unfold largely unseen, and those responsible would face even less scrutiny