MWE Correspondent
Tragedy struck Gaza City on Sunday when five journalists lost their lives in an airstrike near the main gate of Al-Shifa Hospital, one of the city’s largest medical centers.
The journalists were inside a clearly marked press tent when it was targeted directly.
The victims included reporter Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, along with photographers Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa. This devastating incident has drawn sharp condemnation from international media and human rights organizations.
Al-Sharif, who was recognized as an officially accredited journalist, was singled out by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), which claimed he was a commander in the Hamas militant group. However, the IDF statement did not address the deaths of the other journalists caught in the strike.
The news organization described the attack as a deliberate assault on press freedom and a stark reminder of the dangers journalists face in conflict zones.
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The Editor-in-Chief of the network highlighted that the team was stationed away from active combat areas and was clearly identified as media personnel.
International bodies such as the United Nations and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) had previously raised concerns about al-Sharif’s safety, urging for his protection amid escalating violence.
Since October 2023, the CPJ reports that 186 journalists have been killed covering the conflict in Gaza, highlighting the extreme risks faced by media workers trying to report the truth on the ground.
This incident is a grim reminder of the urgent need to protect journalists under international humanitarian law and ensure that the media can operate freely and safely in conflict zones around the world.
