Jerusalem: An Israeli air strike on Gaza City on Monday, August 11, killed five Al Jazeera journalists, including veteran correspondent Anas al-Sharif. The Israeli military acknowledged the attack, alleging he had links to Hamas — a claim the network denies.
The strike hit a tent at the Al-Shifa Medical Complex. The other four journalists killed were identified as
- Mohammed Qreiqeh – Correspondent
- Ibrahim Zaher – Photographer
- Moamen Aliwa – Photographer
- Mohammed Noufal – Assistant photographer
The hospital director called the bombing deliberate.
Video clip from Al Jazeera Mubasher showed mourners carrying the bodies of al-Sharif and Qreiqeh from the hospital to their homes.
In a will written in April and shared posthumously on X on Monday, al-Sharif urged the world to stand with Gaza and care for his wife, two children, and mother. Hours before his death, he reported on rising child mortality from hunger in the enclave.
This is my will and my final message. If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice. First, peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings.
Allah knows I gave every effort and all my strength to be a support and a voice for my people, ever since I opened my eyes to life in the alleys and streets of the Jabalia refugee camp. My hope was that Allah would extend my life so I could return with my family and loved ones to our original town of occupied Asqalan (Al-Majdal). But Allah’s will came first, and His decree is final. I have lived through pain in all its details, tasted suffering and loss many times, yet I never once hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification—so that Allah may bear witness against those who stayed silent, those who accepted our killing, those who choked our breath, and whose hearts were unmoved by the scattered remains of our children and women, doing nothing to stop the massacre that our people have faced for more than a year and a half.
I entrust you with Palestine—the jewel in the crown of the Muslim world, the heartbeat of every free person in this world. I entrust you with its people, with its wronged and innocent children who never had the time to dream or live in safety and peace. Their pure bodies were crushed under thousands of tons of Israeli bombs and missiles, torn apart and scattered across the walls.
I urge you not to let chains silence you, nor borders restrain you. Be bridges toward the liberation of the land and its people, until the sun of dignity and freedom rises over our stolen homeland. I entrust you to take care of my family. I entrust you with my beloved daughter Sham, the light of my eyes, whom I never got the chance to watch grow up as I had dreamed.
I entrust you with my dear son Salah, whom I had wished to support and accompany through life until he grew strong enough to carry my burden and continue the mission.
I entrust you with my beloved mother, whose blessed prayers brought me to where I am, whose supplications were my fortress and whose light guided my path. I pray that Allah grants her strength and rewards her on my behalf with the best of rewards.
I also entrust you with my lifelong companion, my beloved wife, Umm Salah (Bayan), from whom the war separated me for many long days and months. Yet she remained faithful to our bond, steadfast as the trunk of an olive tree that does not bend—patient, trusting in Allah, and carrying the responsibility in my absence with all her strength and faith.
I urge you to stand by them, to be their support after Allah Almighty. If I die, I die steadfast upon my principles. I testify before Allah that I am content with His decree, certain of meeting Him, and assured that what is with Allah is better and everlasting.
O Allah, accept me among the martyrs, forgive my past and future sins, and make my blood a light that illuminates the path of freedom for my people and my family. Forgive me if I have fallen short, and pray for me with mercy, for I kept my promise and never changed or betrayed it.
Do not forget Gaza… And do not forget me in your sincere prayers for forgiveness and acceptance.
Qreiqeh, in a separate video recorded shortly before his death, described the repeated mass displacement in northern Gaza as causing severe psychological collapse among civilians.
Al Jazeera accused Israel of deliberately targeting its journalists as part of a broader attempt to suppress coverage of the war.
In its statement, the network condemned what it described as the “premeditated assassination” of its crew, holding the Israeli army and government fully responsible. It said the targeting of its journalists at Al-Shifa was a calculated effort to silence prominent voices in Gaza and obstruct documentation of the worsening humanitarian crisis. The statement noted that its staff in Gaza endured the same bombardment, displacement, and hunger they reported on, and stressed that Israeli military officials had previously incited against al-Sharif and his colleagues.
The Government Media Office in Gaza said the total number of Palestinian journalists killed since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, has reached 237, including the five killed in Sunday’s strike. It alleged the assassinations were aimed at concealing evidence of war crimes and preventing the world from seeing the “ongoing and planned massacres” in the territory.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al-Khalili, the Grand Mufti of Oman, condemned the killings, praising al-Sharif for his dedication to reporting from the field until his death. He called the attack part of Israel’s continuing crimes against Gaza and prayed for patience for the victims’ families and the Palestinian people.
Note: This article was originally published as a breaking news update. It has since been expanded to include additional details and context.
