'Target linked to Hamas': Israel calls slain journalist a 'terrorist' as Al Jazeera claims 5 staff killed in Gaza strike

Qatar-based news outlet Al Jazeera has claimed that five of its staff, including correspondent Anas al-Sharif, were killed in an Israeli strike on a tent used by journalists in Gaza City on Sunday.

The Israeli military responded to the claims and said that it targeted al-Sharif, labelling him a Hamas “terrorist” who “posed as a journalist.” In a Telegram statement, the IDF said the 28-year-old led a Hamas cell responsible for rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and troops.

“A short while ago, in Gaza City, the IDF struck the terrorist Anas Al-Sharif, who posed as a journalist for the Al Jazeera network… He was responsible for advancing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops,” the  Israeli military said.

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“Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif has been killed alongside four colleagues in a targeted Israeli attack on a tent housing journalists in Gaza City,” the Qatar-based broadcaster said.

Al Jazeera rejected the accusation, saying al-Sharif was reporting near al-Shifa Hospital when the tent outside its main gate was hit. The network identified the others killed as cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Moamen Aliwa, Mohammed Noufal (also the team’s driver), and reporter Mohammed Qreiqeh.

The Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate condemned the strike as a “bloody crime” and an assassination. According to media watchdogs, about 200 journalists have been killed during the 22-month war in Gaza.

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Israel has long had a strained relationship with Al Jazeera, banning its operations in the country and raiding its offices during the current conflict. Qatar, which funds the network, hosts Hamas’s political leadership and has acted as a venue for indirect talks between the group and Israel.