Funerals Held for Five Al Jazeera Journalists Killed in Targeted Israeli Airstrike in Gaza

Hundreds of mourners gathered in Gaza City on Monday, August 11, 2025, to mourn and lay to rest five Al Jazeera journalists who were killed in a deadly airstrike by Israeli forces on Sunday evening.
The strike hit a media tent set up outside the main gate of al-Shifa Hospital in eastern Gaza City. Among the victims were prominent correspondent Anas al-Sharif (28 years old) and fellow Al Jazeera staff members Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa. A local freelance journalist, Mohammed al-Khaldi, was also killed in the attack.
Mourners carried the bodies wrapped in white shrouds through the streets from al-Shifa Hospital to Sheikh Radwan Cemetery. Friends, relatives, and colleagues embraced, mourned, and shouted slogans such as “With our soul and blood, we sacrifice for you, Anas.” A framed press flak jacket was raised high above the crowd as a symbol of their sacrifice.
Al Jazeera condemned the airstrike as a deliberate targeted assassination, accusing the Israeli military of seeking to silence its journalists amid the looming occupation of Gaza. The network dismissed Israel’s claim that al-Sharif had ties to Hamas, calling it baseless.
Press freedom and human rights organizations, including the UN’s human rights office, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), denounced the killings as grave breaches of international humanitarian law and assaults on freedom of the press. CPJ pointed to a troubling pattern of labeling journalists as militants without credible evidence.
International reactions swiftly poured in. Israel’s military defended the strike by claiming al-Sharif led a Hamas cell, but provided no publicly verifiable evidence. Al Jazeera, reporters’ associations, and independent monitors strongly rejected the claim, demanding accountability and protection for journalists.
This incident adds to mounting concerns, as the Gaza conflict now stands as one of the deadliest in modern history for journalists. Estimates suggest between 186 to more than 230 media workers have perished since the outset of the war.
The funeral procession not only mourned the loss of courageous journalists but also amplified global calls for the safeguarding of media workers in conflict zones and unimpeded access for reporting the truth.

Sources
BBC News, Associated Press ,Reuters ,The Guardian ,Al Jazeera