UN, media groups condemn Israeli strike that killed Al Jazeera team in Gaza

In the courtyard of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, dozens of mourners gathered on Monday among the rubble to say goodbye to six journalists killed in an Israeli military strike the day before. The bodies, wrapped in white shrouds with faces exposed, were carried through narrow alleys by men wearing blue press vests—the uniform of those who document war for the world. Among the dead was Anas al-Sharif, a 28-year-old correspondent for Al Jazeera who had become one of the network's most recognizable voices reporting from Gaza over the past 22 months of conflict. Four of his colleagues died alongside him: cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa, plus correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh. A sixth victim, freelance journalist Mohammed Al-Khaldi, was also killed when the strike hit a tent set up for press workers outside the hospital's main gate.

The strike itself became immediately contested ground. Israel confirmed it had deliberately targeted Sharif, labeling him a terrorist affiliated with Hamas and claiming he posed as a journalist to cover his militant activities. The Israeli military released documents it said showed Sharif's enlistment with Hamas in 2013, along with an injury report from 2017 and details of his military rank and unit. The military statement accused him of heading a Hamas "terrorist cell" and being responsible for advancing rocket attacks against Israelis. Local journalists who knew Sharif told a different story: early in his career, he had worked for a Hamas communications office, where his job was to publicize events organized by the group that has governed Gaza since 2006. But that was years ago. In recent years, he worked as a correspondent, filing daily reports on the war.

The condemnations came swiftly. The United Nations human rights agency called the strike a grave breach of international humanitarian law. The Committee to Protect Journalists accused Israel of a pattern—labeling media workers as militants without providing credible evidence to back the claims. Jodie Ginsberg, the organization's chief executive, was direct: unless Israel could demonstrate that Sharif was still an active combatant at the time of his death, there was no legal justification for killing him. International law, she noted, permits targeting only active combatants in wartime. Al Jazeera described the attack as a desperate attempt to silence journalists exposing the occupation, and pointed to what it called repeated incitement and calls from Israeli officials to target Sharif and his team. In April, Sharif had written a message to be published if he died, saying he had been silenced and urging the world not to forget Gaza.

The killing of these six journalists is part of a larger toll. Reporters Without Borders documented that nearly 200 journalists have died in the Gaza war since Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel killed 1,219 people. Israel has largely sealed Gaza's borders to international press, allowing foreign reporters in only on occasional, tightly controlled military-escorted visits. This means much of what the world knows about the conflict comes from local journalists like Sharif, who work under constant threat.

The strike occurred just days after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to expand military operations into the remaining quarter of Gaza not yet under Israeli control—territory that includes much of Gaza City and Al-Mawasi, an area Israel has designated as a safe zone where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have sought refuge. Prime Minister Netanyahu announced the plan on Sunday, saying the military would conquer the remaining territory "with or without the support of others," even as Israeli media reported deep disagreement between the government and military leadership over the decision. The announcement triggered international backlash. Germany, a major weapons supplier and longtime Israeli ally, suspended shipments of arms that could be used in Gaza. Australia joined other Western nations in recognizing Palestinian statehood. UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca warned that the planned offensive "will likely trigger another calamity in Gaza."

The humanitarian stakes are already severe. UN agencies warned last month that famine is unfolding across the territory as Israel restricts aid shipments. The health ministry in Gaza, which is run by Hamas but whose figures the UN considers reliable, reports that Israel's offensive has killed at least 61,499 Palestinians. Against this backdrop, the killing of six journalists—men whose job was to bear witness—carries a particular weight. It raises a question that will likely define the coming phase of the conflict: who gets to tell the story of what happens next?