Funerals held for Al Jazeera journalists assassinated by Israel in Gaza

Hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza City have attended the funeral of five Al Jazeera staff killed in an Israeli air strike outside al-Shifa Hospital.

On Monday, large crowds joined the funeral procession, carrying the journalists’ bodies from al-Shifa Hospital to Sheikh Radwan Cemetery in central Gaza.

Colleagues, friends, and relatives embraced in grief, while a man lifted a “press” flak jacket high above the crowd.

The strike late on Sunday killed seven people, including prominent correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, along with camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Moamen Aliwa, and Mohammed Noufal. Freelance reporter Mohammed al-Khaldi was also among the dead. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said three more journalists were wounded.

Footage verified by Al Jazeera showed mourners chanting against the killings, with some pledging, “With our soul and blood, we sacrifice for you, Anas,” in reference to the slain journalist.

Al Jazeera Media Network condemned the “targeted assassination” by Israeli forces, accusing the military of deliberately striking the journalists’ position. “The Israeli military admitted to their crimes,” the network said, describing the attack as “another blatant and premeditated assault on press freedom”.

Al-Sharif was “one of Gaza’s bravest journalists”, said Al Jazeera, adding that the attack was “a desperate attempt to silence voices in anticipation of the occupation of Gaza”.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said it was “appalled” by the killings. “Israel’s pattern of labeling journalists as militants without providing credible evidence raises serious questions about its intent and respect for press freedom,” said CPJ’s regional director, Sara Qudah. “Those responsible for these killings must be held accountable.”

Media watchdog RSF also condemned what it described as the “acknowledged murder by the Israeli army” of al-Sharif, calling him “one of the most famous journalists from the Gaza Strip (and) the voice of the suffering Israel has imposed on Palestinians in Gaza”. The group said the attack mirrored the 2023 killing of Al Jazeera’s Ismail al-Ghoul, who was also labelled a “terrorist” by Israel.

“Without strong action from the international community… we’re likely to witness more such extrajudicial murders of media professionals,” RSF warned, urging the United Nations Security Council to intervene.

Al-Sharif’s assassination comes more than a year after Israel bombed his family home in a refugee camp, killing his 65-year-old father.

The killings of the Palestinian journalists come days after Israel’s security cabinet approved a plan to occupy the Gaza Strip. The operation aims to seize Gaza City and forcibly clear nearly one million Palestinian residents.

Palestinians have pointed out that Gaza – home to 2.3 million people – remains under Israeli occupation. Nothing can go in or out without Israeli permission. A total Israeli blockade since March 2 has triggered a starvation crisis, killing more than 200 people, including 100 children, in the last few weeks.