Next Story
Newszop

Who Was Anas Al-Sharif? 28-Year-Old Al Jazeera Journalist In Gaza, Whom Israel Claimed Of Being Hamas Leader, Killed In IDF Strike

Send Push
Freepressjournalpublisher-detail-arrow
11th August, 2025 09:27 IST

Jerusalem: A well-known face for millions across Arab world, Al Jazeera's Anas Al-Sharif, a 28-year-old reporter whose dispatches from the heart of Gaza became a lifeline for those beyond its borders, was brutally killed in an Israeli airstrike on Sunday night (August 10).

The strike reportedly hit a tent for journalists outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, killing Al-Sharif along withe four of his colleagues, including correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh and camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa. Two others also died in the attack, bringing the toll to seven, according to a report by Reuters.

The Israeli military admitted to carrying out the strike, alleging that Al-Sharif was "the head of a terrorist cell in the Hamas terrorist organisation" and responsible for advancing rocket attacks. The military also claimed that it posses intelligence records and documents as proof, however, press freedom advocates and rights group argued that there no credible evidence has been presented.

Al Jazeera condemned the killing as "a desperate attempt to silence voices in anticipation of the occupation of Gaza."

Who was Anas Al Sharif?

Al-Sharif was one of Gaza’s most recognised journalists, known for broadcasting amid bombardments and for his refusal to leave northern Gaza even after an Israeli strike killed his father in December 2023. He began his life living in the Jabalia refugee camp and often spoke about growing up surrounded by hardship.

In January this year, he drew attention for removing his body armour live on air during a ceasefire, standing among crowds celebrating a brief pause in fighting.

In July, he told the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) that he lived with the constant "feeling that I could be bombed and martyred at any moment." UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression Irene Khan had previously called Israel’s public accusations against him "unsubstantiated" and "a blatant assault on journalists."

Al-Sharif’s frontline reports frequently covered starvation, famine and malnutrition in Gaza. Colleagues say he worked almost without pause since the war began in October 2023, posting updates to his 500,000-plus followers on X, including one minutes before his death, describing "intense, concentrate Israeli bombardment" of Gaza City.

His Last Message

Following his death, Al-Sharif’s family shared a message he had written in April to be posted if he was killed. In it, he entrusted the care of Palestine, his family and "its wronged and innocent children" to those who survived him. "I never once hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification," he wrote, asking people to never forget Gaza or its suffering.

Have a look at his message here:

Press freedom organisations also condemned the attack. CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa director Sara Qudah said, "Israel’s pattern of labelling journalists as militants without providing credible evidence raises serious questions about its intent and respect for press freedom."

Hamas said the killing could mark the beginning of a new Israeli offensive in Gaza City. The Gaza government media office claims 237 journalists have been killed since the war began, while CPJ has confirmed at least 186.

For Al Jazeera, Al-Sharif’s death removes one of "the last remaining voices in Gaza conveying the tragic reality to the world", a voice he had promised never to silence, even in the face of certain danger.

You may also like

NewsPointGenZNewsPointVideosNewsPointGamesNewsPointCricket
Loving Newspoint? Download the app now