Israel kills six journalists in airstrike, entire Al Jazeera staff in Gaza dead

Six journalists, including five from Al Jazeera, have been killed in what the network says was a targeted Israeli assassination in Gaza City, international media reported.

Correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, along with cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa, died instantly when an air strike hit a tent for reporters outside Al-Shifa Hospital on Sunday. Freelance journalist Mohammed Al-Khaldi later succumbed to his injuries, according to Gaza’s civil defence and hospital officials quoted in AFP report.

Funerals were held Monday, with Al Jazeera condemning the attack as a “desperate attempt to silence voices” exposing Israel’s planned takeover of Gaza.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, the US National Press Club and the Freedom of the Press Foundation called for investigations and stronger protections for reporters.

The Israeli military admitted carrying out the strike, claiming al-Sharif was a Hamas commander disguised as a journalist. Media watchdogs say over 200 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began, and CPJ accused Israel of routinely branding reporters as militants without proof.

The Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate denounced the incident as an assassination. With Gaza cut off from the outside world, Palestinian reporters remain crucial for global coverage.

The attack came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended a new offensive against remaining Hamas strongholds. A UN official warned that Israel’s plan to control Gaza City could trigger “another calamity,” causing mass displacement, more deaths and further destruction.

Australia, meanwhile, said it will recognise a Palestinian state at the UN in September. The Gaza war has killed at least 61,499 people and wounded over 153,000, while the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel left 1,139 dead and more than 200 taken hostage.