Gazans gathered on Monday for the funeral of five Al Jazeera staff members and a sixth reporter killed in an Israeli strike, with Israel calling one of them a âterroristâ affiliated with Hamas.
Dozens stood amid bombed-out buildings in the courtyard of Al-Shifa hospital to pay their respects to Anas al-Sharif, a prominent Al Jazeera correspondent aged 28, and four of his colleagues, killed on Sunday.
A sixth journalist, Mohammed Al-Khaldi, who worked as a freelance reporter, was also killed in the strike that targeted the Al Jazeera team, according to the director of Al-Shifa Hospital, Dr Mohammed Abu Salmiya.
Their bodies, wrapped in white shrouds with their faces exposed, were carried through narrow alleys to their graves by mourners, including men wearing blue journalistsâ flak jackets.
Israel confirmed it had targeted Sharif, whom it labelled a âterroristâ affiliated with Hamas, saying he âposed as a journalistâ.
Al Jazeera said its employees were hit in a tent set up for journalists outside the main gate of a hospital in Gaza City.
The four other staff members killed were Mohammed Qreiqeh, also a correspondent, and cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa.
âAnas Al-Sharif served as the head of a terrorist cell in the Hamas terrorist organisation and was responsible for advancing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF (Israeli) troops,â the military said in a statement.
âThe IDF had previously disclosed intelligence information and many documents found in the Gaza Strip, confirming his military affiliation to Hamas,â it said.
It published a graphic showing what it said was a list of Hamas operatives in northern Gaza, including Sharifâs name, as well as an image of him emblazoned with the word: âEliminatedâ.
Sharif was one of the channelâs most recognisable faces working on the ground in Gaza, providing daily reports on the now 22-month-old war.
Mounting Criticism
A posthumous message, written in April in case of his death, was published on his account on Monday morning, saying he had been silenced and urging people ânot to forget Gazaâ.
According to local journalists who knew him, Sharif had worked at the start of his career with a Hamas communication office, where his role was to publicise events organised by the militant group that has exercised total control over Gaza since 2006.
Following online posts by Israelâs Arabic-language military spokesman Avichai Adraee on Sharif, the Committee to Protect Journalists called in July for his protection, accusing Israel of a âpatternâ of labelling journalists militants âwithout providing credible evidenceâ.
Al Jazeera said five had been killed: correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, along with camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
It said the Israeli military had levelled similar accusations against other journalists in Gaza earlier in the war, including other Al Jazeera staff.
Al Jazeera called the attack that killed Sharif âa desperate attempt to silence voices exposing the Israeli occupationâ, as it described Sharif as âone of Gazaâs bravest journalistsâ.
It also said it followed ârepeated incitement and calls by multiple Israeli officials and spokespersons to target the fearless journalist Anas Al Sharif and his colleaguesâ.
Reporters Without Borders says nearly 200 journalists have been killed in the war so far.
International reporters are prevented from travelling to Gaza by Israel, except on occasional, tightly controlled trips with the military.
The strike on the journalists came with criticism mounting over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuâs decision to expand the war in the Gaza Strip.
âWe Will Winâ
The security cabinet voted last week to conquer the remaining quarter or so of the territory not yet controlled by Israeli troops, including much of Gaza City and Al-Mawasi, the area designated a safe zone by Israel where huge numbers of Palestinians have sought refuge.
The plan, which Israeli media reported had triggered bitter disagreement between the government and military leadership, drew condemnation from protesters in Israel and numerous countries, including Israeli allies.
Notably, the plans caused Germany, a major weapons supplier and staunch ally, to suspend shipments to Israel of any arms that could be used in Gaza.
Mourners march with the bodies of the Al Jazeera journalists who were killed in an overnight Israeli strike on their tent in Gaza City, from Al-Shifa hospital to their burial at the Sheikh Radwan cemetery in Gaza City on August 11, 2025. Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera said on August 11 that five of its journalists were killed in an Israeli strike. Al Jazeera said five had been killed: correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, along with camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
Australia said on Sunday it would join a growing list of Western nations in recognising a Palestinian state.
Despite the diplomatic reversals, Netanyahu remained defiant.
âWe will win the war, with or without the support of others,â he told journalists on Sunday.
He also retained the backing of Israelâs most important ally, the United States, with President Donald Trump saying on Tuesday any military plans were âpretty much up to Israelâ.
âAnother Calamityâ
The United Nations and humanitarian agencies have condemned the planned expansion.
âIf these plans are implemented, they will likely trigger another calamity in Gaza,â UN Assistant Secretary General Miroslav Jenca told the Security Council on Sunday.
UN agencies warned last month that famine was unfolding in the territory, with Israel severely restricting the entry of aid.
Israelâs offensive has killed at least 61,430 Palestinians, according to Gazaâs health ministry, figures the United Nations says are reliable.
Hamasâs October 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the war, resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
AFP
