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Al Jazeera correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohamed Qreiqeh were among those killed in an airstrike on Sunday, the broadcaster said.
Five other journalists were killed. In total seven people died in the attack, according to Al Jazeera. They were all sheltering outside the Gaza City Hospital complex. Al Jazeera said they “died where they slept”.
Israel swiftly claimed responsibility.
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Al-Sharif was targeted by Israel’s military who alleged he was the leader of a Hamas cell. Al Jazeera rejected the claim and al-Sharif had previously rejected claims he was connected to Hamas.
The Gazan journalist was 28-years-old and had two young children and a wife. In a message to be published in the event of his death, al-Sharif said: “I never hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or misrepresentation”.
Al-Sharif’s managing editor said he was “the only voice” left inside Gaza City.
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Prominent Gazan correspondent, Anas al-Sharif, was killed in an Israeli airstrike alongside five other journalists.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPS) said: “Israel’s pattern of labelling journalists as militants without providing credible evidence raises serious questions about its intent and respect for press freedom”.
Gaza-based reporters are relied on by many outlets for coverage due to the Israeli government not allowing international news organisations into Gaza to report freely.
Al-Sharif’s targeted killing, alongside his colleagues, poses a big threat to press freedom and severely impacts the public’s access to information from inside the warzone.
According to the CPJ, 186 journalists have been killed since the start of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. Reporters Without Borders also condemned calling it: “Acknowledged murder by the Israeli army”. #press #pressfreedom #alsharif