The International Press Institute (IPI) has issued a strong condemnation of Israel’s targeted killing of five Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza, including prominent correspondent Anas Al-Sharif. The attack, which also resulted in the death of a freelance reporter and injuries to several other journalists, occurred on August 10 when a tent housing the journalists near the main entrance of Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital was struck.
In a statement posted on X, the IPI called on the Israeli military to immediately cease its attacks on media workers covering the ongoing conflict. The organization also urged the international community to condemn these killings and exert all diplomatic pressure on Israel to ensure the safety of journalists, who are protected as civilians under international humanitarian law.
The IPI Executive Board described the attack as “part of an insidious pattern of smearing, then killing, journalists in Palestine who dare to report the realities of this devastating conflict.” The Board appealed for urgent global action to prevent further bloodshed among journalists striving to deliver news from inside Gaza, where military bombardments continue and the humanitarian crisis worsens.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), nearly 200 Palestinian journalists have been killed by the Israeli military since the conflict began. Al Jazeera has confirmed that 11 of its journalists have been killed. Israel’s military confirmed the targeted attack, claiming Al-Sharif was the head of a Hamas cell, an allegation that both Al Jazeera and press freedom groups have rejected. Before his death, Al-Sharif had stated on social media that he “never hesitated for a single day to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification.”
