An Israeli airstrike targeting a tent sheltering six Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza has drawn widespread condemnation, with Tel Aviv claiming one prominent victim was a Hamas operative. The strike occurred during intense bombardment of the besieged enclave.
Al Jazeera, one of the few networks still broadcasting from Gaza, confirmed the deaths of correspondent Anas al-Sharif, fellow reporter Mohammed Qreiqeh, cameramen Ibrahim Zaher and Mohammed Noufal, producer Moamen Aliwa, and photojournalist Mohammed Al-Khaldi. The Israeli military asserted al-Sharif, 28, was a “terrorist” who “masked his identity by acting undercover” and allegedly led a Hamas cell.
This justification was swiftly rejected. UN human rights officials condemned the killing as a “grave violation of international humanitarian law.” The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) warned targeting reporters “is a war crime.” Italy’s National Press Federation denounced it as a “vile and ruthless act by the Israeli army aimed at shutting down all information channels.” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani labelled attacks on journalists “unacceptable.”
The strike coincided with one of Gaza’s heaviest bombardment nights in weeks. Shortly before his death, al-Sharif posted on X about “intense and concentrated Israeli bombardments using ‘fire belts'” hitting eastern and southern Gaza City. Colleagues later shared his April ‘testament’: “I entrust Palestine to you, its people, its innocent and oppressed children who never had time to dream or live in safety and peace.”
Israeli forces heavily bombarded eastern Gaza City suburbs Sabra, Zeitoun, and Shejaia, raising Palestinian fears of an imminent ground offensive on the city. However, unnamed Israeli officials told Reuters the operation “could take weeks to begin,” with civilian evacuation “possibly only completed by early October.”
Separately, Israeli NGO B’Tselem released video allegedly showing the July 28 killing of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen in the West Bank by a settler later released for lack of evidence. Hathaleen featured in the Oscar-winning documentary ‘No Other Land’.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis deepens. Five Palestinians reportedly died from starvation in 24 hours, bringing the total to 222 since October 7th, nearly half children. In another strike, an entire family of eight perished in Gaza City’s al-Zeitoun district.
Growing domestic pressure within Israel saw the Western Wall in Jerusalem vandalized with Hebrew graffiti stating: “There is a holocaust in Gaza.” The act drew condemnation across the political spectrum, including from opposition figure Benny Gantz who called it “a crime against the entire Jewish people.”
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