Five Al Jazeera Journalists Dead in Israeli Strike; IDF Claims Hamas Connection – What We Know

Five Al Jazeera journalists, including the well-known reporter Anas al-Sharif who was Al Jazeera journalists killed in an Israeli strike on Gaza reporters camp inside Gaza City on Sunday. The Israeli military confirmed that it carried the strike, and accused al-Sharif of being an Hamas agent that "posed as a journalist" and was the leader of a terrorist group responsible for launching rockets.

Al Jazeera condemned the killings as a "targeted assassination" aimed at blocking independent journalism from Gaza which is a place where access to international media remains extremely restricted. This is among the deadliest events for Al Jazeera since the war started nearly two years ago. in which more than 200 journalists have been killed according to groups that promote press freedom.

The journalists killed during Gaza City during Gaza City strike

Al Jazeera confirmed that five of its employees were killed during the attack: correspondent Anas al-Sharif and fellow journalist Mohammed Qreiqeh, and camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal along with Moamen Aliwa.

The group was sheltering in a tent next to Al-Shifa Medical Complex, a location that has been used for a long time by journalists. Al-Sharif 28 was among the most well-known Arabic-language reporters who covered the press freedom conflict, and was known for his reports on the frontline in northern Gaza. Just hours before his death, the reporter posted footage on X that showed nearby Israeli strikes. The deaths have raised fears regarding journalists' safety in Gaza in the area where local reporters offer the greatest coverage due to the restrictions on foreign media visiting Gaza without Israeli military security.

In an announcement in a statement, they said that IDF Hamas allegations that Anas al-Sharif as an "Hamas terrorist" who used journalism as a cover. They said that intelligence obtained from Gaza -- such as rosters, training records and salary records -- confirmed his connection. In the words of the IDF, al-Sharif led a Hamas group that was responsible for organizing missile attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians. "A press badge terrorism against Israel isn't a shield for terrorism," the statement reads.