LATE on Sunday, an Israeli airstrike killed five Al Jazeera journalists and media workers in Gaza City, striking a tent by the main gate of al-Shifa Hospital where reporters had been working during a citywide blackout.
At around 11:35pm local time, witnesses described a powerful explosion that lit up the sky. The tent, used by journalists to access electricity and internet connections, was engulfed in flames within seconds.
At least seven people were killed.
The dead included Al Jazeera correspondents Anas al-Sharif, 28, and Mohammed Qreiqeh, 33, along with cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, 25, Moamen Aliwa, and their assistant Mohammed Noufal, 29, who were all inside the tent at the time.
Shortly before his death, al-Sharif had posted on social media about ‘intense, concentrated bombardment’, known locally as ‘fire belts’, in eastern and southern Gaza City.
Just hours later, his official page published the text of a message he had written on 6th April – a will addressed to the world:
‘This is my will and my final message. If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice. First, peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings.
‘Allah knows I gave every effort and all my strength to be a support and a voice for my people, ever since I opened my eyes to life in the alleys and streets of the Jabalia refugee camp.
‘My hope was that Allah would extend my life so I could return with my family and loved ones to our original town of occupied Asqalan (Al-Majdal). But Allah’s will came first, and His decree is final.
‘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 – so that Allah may bear witness against those who stayed silent, those who accepted our killing, those who choked our breath, and whose hearts were unmoved by the scattered remains of our children and women, doing nothing to stop the massacre that our people have faced for more than a year and a half.
‘I entrust you with Palestine – the jewel in the crown of the Muslim world, the heartbeat of every free person in this world. I entrust you with its people, with its wronged and innocent children who never had the time to dream or live in safety and peace.
‘Their pure bodies were crushed under thousands of tons of Israeli bombs and missiles, torn apart and scattered across the walls.
‘I urge you not to let chains silence you, nor borders restrain you. Be bridges toward the liberation of the land and its people, until the sun of dignity and freedom rises over our stolen homeland.
‘I entrust you to take care of my family. I entrust you with my beloved daughter Sham, the light of my eyes, whom I never got the chance to watch grow up as I had dreamed.
‘I entrust you with my dear son Salah, whom I had wished to support and accompany through life until he grew strong enough to carry my burden and continue the mission.
‘I entrust you with my beloved mother, whose blessed prayers brought me to where I am, whose supplications were my fortress and whose light guided my path. I pray that Allah grants her strength and rewards her on my behalf with the best of rewards.
‘I also entrust you with my lifelong companion, my beloved wife, Umm Salah (Bayan), from whom the war separated me for many long days and months.
‘Yet she remained faithful to our bond, steadfast as the trunk of an olive tree that does not bend – patient, trusting in Allah, and carrying the responsibility in my absence with all her strength and faith.
‘I urge you to stand by them, to be their support after Allah Almighty. If I die, I die steadfast upon my principles.
‘I testify before Allah that I am content with His decree, certain of meeting Him, and assured that what is with Allah is better and everlasting.
‘O Allah, accept me among the martyrs, forgive my past and future sins, and make my blood a light that illuminates the path of freedom for my people and my family. Forgive me if I have fallen short, and pray for me with mercy, for I kept my promise and never changed or betrayed it.
‘Do not forget Gaza… And do not forget me in your sincere prayers for forgiveness and acceptance.
‘Anas Jamal Al-Sharif
06.04.2025’.
The Israeli military later admitted responsibility for the strike, claiming, without evidence, that al-Sharif was an armed Hamas commander posing as a journalist.
Muhammad Shehada of the European Council on Foreign Relations said there was ‘zero evidence’ to support the claim, adding: ‘His entire daily routine was standing in front of a camera from morning to evening.’
Al Jazeera called the killings a ‘targeted assassination… in yet another blatant and premeditated attack on press freedom’, noting that Israel had threatened al-Sharif for months in an attempt to silence him.
Outrage erupted around the world in reaction.
In Berlin, hundreds gathered on Monday night to denounce the killings, holding Palestinian flags, portraits of the victims, and placards reading: ‘Rest in peace, freedom of the press’.
Some banners depicted Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a wanted criminal; another read: ‘Even the Nazis did not bomb hospitals.’
Protests also took place outside the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague, where demonstrators called for diplomatic action against Israel over the targeting of journalists.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the killings ‘evidence of the desperation of a regime going downhill’ and said they reflected not strength but fear of Palestinian voices.
He accused Western governments of complicity through their ‘shameful silence’.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said the strike was a blatant assault on freedom of expression and human rights, aimed at silencing the truth, and urged international organisations to take urgent action.
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) called it ‘a horrific attack’ and ‘a grave violation of international law’.
NUJ general secretary Laura Davison said: ‘We extend our deepest sympathies to the families of the murdered journalists and their colleagues.
‘Journalists have specific rights under international law and once again these rights have been violated while other civilians have been killed as collateral damage.
‘Israel has denied foreign reporters access to Gaza while systematically discrediting, targeting and killing local journalists. These are the activities of a government that does not want the world to witness its actions.’
Davison added: ‘That the Israeli military openly admits to these atrocities brings into sharp focus the need for international action to end this impunity.
‘We once again reiterate our call for the UK government, who claim to be committed to press freedom, to exert serious pressure to protect journalists, uphold international law and support an investigation by the International Criminal Court into the blatant targeting of journalists and media workers by Israeli forces.
‘There must be immediate international action to end this obscene behaviour.’
Anthony Bellanger, general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), said: ‘After a smear campaign against Gaza’s journalists, Israel has killed five Al Jazeera staff in a press tent housing journalists.
‘The deliberate targeting of journalists is a war crime and Israeli leaders must be held accountable for their heinous actions.
‘We condemn in the strongest possible terms this deliberate killing of our colleagues and we stand in solidarity with all staff at Al Jazeera and our colleagues working in Gaza under such unacceptable circumstances.’
The European Union also condemned the attack, with foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas calling it a ‘deeply troubling’ strike on media workers and urging Israel to permit greater humanitarian access to Gaza.
‘We call on Israel to allow more trucks and improve the distribution of aid,’ she said.
According to the IFJ, at least 195 journalists and media workers – including 180 Palestinians – have been killed since 7th October 2023, making the current war in Gaza the deadliest conflict for the profession in modern history.
Authorities in Gaza put the number at nearly 270.
