Journalists in Gaza are writing their own obituaries, after Israel brands them 'terrorists' By Chantelle Al-Khouri and North America correspondent Lauren Day 16 minutes ago https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08...-israeli-air-strikes-anas-al-sharif/105639346 Anas al-Sharif joined Al Jazeera just months after Israel's war in Gaza began. (Facebook: Anas al-Sharif) Palestinian journalist Anas al-Sharif knew his days were numbered. The 28-year-old had become one of the most prominent reporters in Gaza and had amassed a large social media following, posting regular updates from the ground. But as his work attracted a growing international audience, he also drew attention from the Israeli military. That included escalating rhetoric from IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee, who in July described him as "a mouthpiece for intellectual terrorism" and accused him of being part of "a false Hamas campaign of starvation". The IDF had claimed since October last year that al-Sharif was part of a group of Al Jazeera journalists working for Hamas and Islamic Jihad, citing documents it claimed showed he'd been a soldier in the Northern Brigade since 2013. In May last year, the Israeli government shut down the Qatari news network's operations in the country, branding it a mouthpiece for Hamas. Al Jazeera has repeatedly denied both accusations. Just over two weeks ago, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called for al-Sharif's protection, and said he was being targeted by an Israeli military smear campaign he believed was "a precursor for his assassination". Al-Sharif became one of a growing number of media workers being targeted by Israeli forces and smeared as "terrorists", with what press freedom groups say is no credible evidence to support the claims. The father of two told the CPJ the campaign was not only a threat to press freedom, but also "a real-life threat". "All of this is happening because my coverage of the crimes of the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip harms them and damages their image in the world," al-Sharif said. "This feeling is difficult and painful, but it does not push me back. Rather, it motivates me to continue fulfilling my duty and conveying the suffering of our people, even if it costs me my life." On Monday, al-Sharif's premonition came true. Israel killed him, alongside his Al Jazeera colleagues Mohammed Qreiqeh and camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa, with a strike on a tent housing reporters in Gaza. The attack wiped out the entire Al Jazeera reporting team left in Gaza City. On Tuesday, hundreds gathered for his funeral through the streets of Gaza, as the UN condemned his death. A journalist inspects the remnants of the tent where Al Jazeera's Anas al-Sharif and four others were killed by an IDF air strike. (Reuters: Mahmoud Issa) 'Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice' Anas al-Sharif was born in the Jabalia camp in Gaza's north, the largest refugee camp and one of the most densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip. During the 2008 war in Gaza, when Israel launched a widespread bombing campaign on the territory, an 11-year-old Anas al-Sharif was interviewed by Al Jazeera, and said he dreamt of being a reporter. Sixteen years later — just months after Hamas launched its deadly attacks on Israel in October 2023, prompting a devastating Israeli military response in Gaza — he joined the broadcaster. "We grew up, but the face of the occupation did not change, and its aggression did not stop," he posted in February 2024. The CPJ said he had refused to leave Gaza's north or cease coverage in November 2023, when he was a volunteer at another media network, despite threats by Israeli military officers telling him to do so via phone calls and voice notes disclosing his location. A month later, an Israeli air strike hit his family home in Jabalia, killing his 90-year-old father. Al-Sharif and his colleagues have been forced to report on what they, too, are living through, including having to announce the deaths of multiple relatives live on air. As celebrations broke out following the announcement of a ceasefire deal in December 2024, al-Sharif took off his press helmet and bulletproof vest live on air to mark the moment. "I can finally take off this helmet, which has exhausted me all this time, and also this armour which has become a part of my body," he said. Al-Sharif greeted the announcement of a Gaza ceasefire deal in December by taking off his press protective gear. His final report was published after he was killed — his will and a final message. "If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice," he said. "I urge you not to let chains silence you, nor borders restrain you. Be bridges toward the liberation of the land and its people, until the sun of dignity and freedom rises over our stolen homeland." 'If you are reading this, it means that I have been killed' Anas al-Sharif is not the first Palestinian journalist to have written his own obituary. In March, his Al Jazeera colleague Hossam Shabat was killed by an Israeli drone strike on the car he was travelling in through northern Gaza. Like al-Sharif, the 23-year-old had written a note to be released in the event of his death, beginning with "if you are reading this, it means that I have been killed". The note, which detailed his sleepless nights, hunger and struggles to document the war, concluded: "I will finally be able to rest, something I have not been able to do for the past 18 months." Both men are now on a long list of journalists Israeli forces have targeted after claiming they were affiliated with terrorist organisations, while providing little credible evidence. In October 2024, they were among six Palestinian Al Jazeera journalists that Israel accused of involvement with Hamas or Islamic Jihad militant groups, on the basis of what it said were documents seized from Gaza. The documents were unable to be independently verified, and Al Jazeera called the accusation "a blatant attempt to silence the few remaining journalists in the region". Al-Sharif, centre, carries the body of Hossam Shabat, a colleague killed by the IDF, in March. (Middle East Images: Abood Abosalma) Shabat described the accusations as "fabricated dossiers framing us" and a "blatant and belligerent attempt to transform us, the last witnesses in the north, into kill-able targets". Exactly five months later, he was killed by Israeli forces, while travelling in a car emblazoned with the "TV" and "Al Jazeera" labels. Photo shows A young boy holding an empty pot waiting for food. There's an old adage in the media about journalists not wanting to become the story. But the lack of food in Gaza means journalists and the story are intrinsically linked. Other examples of journalists accused of terrorism and targeted by Israeli forces include Yaser Murtaja, who had been vetted by the US government to receive a USAID grant, and Ismail al-Ghoul, who would have had to have received a Hamas military ranking at just 10 years old, according to an IDF-produced document. Jodie Ginsberg from the CPJ told the ABC it was part of a pattern seen from Israel not only during the current war, but whenever Israeli forces have killed Palestinian journalists. "It then subsequently alleges, without providing any credible evidence, that they are terrorist operatives and we've seen that in the case of Anas al-Sharif and a number of our journalists killed in this war," she said. "Unusually in this war, we've seen Israel allege that journalists are terrorists ahead of time — in what Anas and other journalists have said, and we have said, seems to be a precursor to their killing, justifying their murders." Losing eyes and ears on the ground Israel has not allowed international media to independently enter Gaza since October 7. With foreign journalists locked out of the enclave, the world has been relying on Palestinian media workers to report on the war — but their numbers are dwindling. The CPJ has said this is the deadliest conflict for journalists it has ever documented, with more than 186 journalists having been killed. Of those, at least 178 were Palestinians killed by Israel. Anas al-Sharif reports for Al Jazeera from the Gaza Strip earlier in the conflict. (Al Jazeera) Ginsberg said at least 17 were deliberately targeted as journalists for their work, and it's clear there is no protection available to those who remain. "We are extremely concerned that we are going to simply see more and more of these deaths as the offensive in Gaza continues," she told the ABC. Directing attacks against journalists is considered a violation of international humanitarian law and constitutes a war crime. Nasser Abu Bakr, from the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, described Monday's killings as a "massacre". "This is a black day for Palestinian journalists," he said. "It is systematic killing and systematic targeting of our journalists in Gaza from the Israeli government. "It will not prevent us to continue our duty. We are professional journalists and … we are determined to continue our work under fire, under starvation, without any equipment to show the people what's happening on the ground." Ginsberg pointed out that journalists are also not immune from the other issues facing the entire population of Gaza. "They are subject to starvation, continual displacement, the deterioration of equipment [and] communications blackouts, whilst trying to report on a war that is deeply impacting them personally," she said. Last month, news agency Agence France-Presse asked Israel to allow the immediate evacuation of its freelance contributors and their families from Gaza, after they said they were struggling to work due to the threat of hunger. They joined the Associated Press, BBC News and Reuters in a rare statement voicing concern about journalists remaining in the territory, which read: "We are desperately concerned for our journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families. "For many months, these independent journalists have been the world's eyes and ears on the ground in Gaza. "They are now facing the same dire circumstances as those they are covering."
Let's be realistic. This Influencer yachting expedition has no intent of landing supplies in Gaza. They are counting on the Israeli military to intercept them. If the IDF allowed them to proceed to Gaza then the the Influencers would be begging the Israeli navy to stop them rather than face the chaos of landing on the shores of Gaza.
Your continual insult to basic intelligence is very tiresome. For a Gaza-aid-type situation, “lightering” aka “ship-to-shore transfer” would be the method. The danger to them is the IDF, with their "warning shots".
Well... then just let the Yacht Influencers land their supplies in Gaza then. Obviously this is not their intention... it's all for show and clicks.
You know how I found @gwb-trading? Well one day before he even has basic house training (never posted a source) he posted something really dumb but there was something partially worked out in it. This caught my attention as it wasn't quite his usual barf (it was barf but not his usual) so I googled it. The search result brought up his blogging site, domain was his name. So in addition to boring everyone here, he had a notion in his head that his random brain droppings on a range of topics were little nuggets for the world to appreciate. Nobody ever saw it but he went on for years... And years... I say this @themickey to let you know that any suspicions that he is just a fucking lame-arse, are well founded in solid emperical evidence. He wants to be loved for his mind... But what a mind.
Anas Al-Sharif became the face of the war in Gaza for millions. Then Israel killed him By Mostafa Salem Updated 4 hr ago https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/11/middleeast/anas-al-sharif-al-jazeera-reporter-intl Al-Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif is seen reporting near the Arab Ahli (Baptist) Hospital in Gaza City on October 10, 2024. AFP/Getty Images As a ceasefire in Gaza took hold in January, Anas Al-Sharif began removing his protective gear live on television, piece by piece, while a jubilant crowd cheered, hoping the day marked the end of the suffering of 2 million Palestinians in the enclave. Nearly seven months later, Israel killed the Al Jazeera journalist and four of his colleagues in a strike in Gaza City. One of the most well-known Palestinian journalists in Gaza – and one of dozens to be killed by Israel during the war – Al-Sharif’s death has ignited international condemnation and calls for accountability. The 28-year-old rose to prominence as the face of the Gaza story for millions while Israel has blocked international media outlets from accessing the territory. Little known before the war, he quickly turned into a household name in the Arab world for his daily coverage of the conflict and its humanitarian toll. His reports provided first-hand accounts of critical moments in the conflict, including the short-lived ceasefires in the territory, the release of Israeli hostages and harrowing stories of the starvation that have shocked the world. Al Jazeera recruited Al-Sharif in December 2023 after his social media footage of Israeli strikes in his hometown of Jabalya went viral. Then a professional cameraman, he was initially reluctant to appear on air but was persuaded by colleagues to front his reports, an experience he called “indescribable.” “I had never even appeared on a local channel let alone an international one,” he was cited as saying in the Sotour media outlet in February. “The person who was happiest was my late father.” His father was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Jabalya shortly after Al-Sharif began appearing on Al Jazeera. A father of two, he appeared on the channel nearly every day since he started his job. “We (journalists) slept in hospitals, in streets, in vehicles, in ambulances, in displacement shelters, in warehouses, with displaced people. I slept in 30 to 40 different places,” he told the outlet. After he took off his protective gear on air in January, crowds lifted him on their shoulders in celebration. “I am taking off the helmet that tired me, and this armor that has become an extension of my body,” he said live on Al Jazeera at the time as he paid tribute to colleagues killed and injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza. Al-Sharif’s reports attracted the attention of the Israeli military, which, he claimed, warned him to stop his work for Al Jazeera, a network that had already lost several staff members to Israeli actions in Gaza, including Ismail Al Ghoul, killed last year, and Hossam Shabat, killed in March. “At the end, (the Israeli military) sent me voice notes on my WhatsApp number… an intelligence officer told me… ‘you have minutes to leave the location you are in, go to the south, and stop reporting for Al Jazeera’… I was reporting from a hospital live.” “Minutes later, the room I was reporting from was struck,” he said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) didn’t respond to CNN’s request for comment. Why now? Israel first accused Al-Sharif of being linked to Hamas 10 months ago. Why it decided to target him now is unclear. In a statement confirming his targeted killing, the IDF accused Al-Sharif of leading a Hamas cell in Gaza that orchestrated “rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF forces.” In October 2024, the Israeli military published documents it claimed showed “unequivocal proof” of Al-Sharif’s ties to Hamas and named five other Al Jazeera journalists who it said were part of the militant group. An Israeli army spokesperson said in a video on X that Al-Sharif joined a Hamas battalion in 2013, and was injured in training in 2017, an accusation denied by the journalist himself and Irene Khan, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression. “I reaffirm: I, Anas Al-Sharif, am a journalist with no political affiliations. My only mission is to report the truth from the ground – as it is, without bias,” he wrote last month. “At a time when a deadly famine is ravaging Gaza, speaking the truth has become, in the eyes of the occupation, a threat.” Following the journalist’s killing, the IDF’s Arabic spokesperson published several pictures of Al-Sharif with Yahya Sinwar, the late Hamas leader who is believed to have masterminded the October 7, 2023 attack that left around 1,200 people in Israel dead and roughly 250 more taken hostage. Israel killed Sinwar in October 2024. Al-Sharif was in a tent with other journalists near the entrance to the Al-Shifa Hospital when he was killed on Sunday, according to hospital director Dr. Mohammad Abu Salmiya. Palestinians stand near the destroyed Al Jazeera tent at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on August 11, 2025, following an overnight strike by the Israeli military. Bashar Taleb/AFP/Getty Images The tent was marked with a ‘Press’ sign, Abu Salmiya told CNN. The strike killed at least seven people, Salmiya added. Al Jazeera said correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh and photojournalists Ibrahim Al Thaher and Moamen Aliwa were also killed in the strike, as well as Mohammed Noufal, another staff member. ‘Pattern of accusing journalists’ Al-Sharif’s killing prompted condemnations from rights groups and officials. The Committee to Protect Journalists said it was “appalled,” adding that Israel has “a longstanding, documented pattern of accusing journalists of being terrorists without providing any credible proof.” The CPJ said 192 journalists have been killed since the beginning of the war nearly two years ago, adding: “184 of those journalists are Palestinians killed by Israel.” Since the start of the war, Israel has not allowed international journalists to enter Gaza to report independently. Palestinians carry the body of Al Jazeera reporter Anas Al-Sharif, who, along with other journalists, was killed in an Israeli airstrike, during his funeral outside Gaza City's Shifa hospital complex on August 11.Jehad Alshrafi/AP Just hours before the strike that killed Al-Sharif and his colleagues, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said foreign journalists would now be allowed into Gaza, but only with Israeli military approval and accompanied by them, the same embed policy that has been in place since the beginning of the war. Al-Sharif was buried in Gaza on Monday in a funeral that attracted large crowds of Palestinian mourners. Anticipating his own death, Al-Sharif had written a will that was released by his colleagues after he was killed. “I have lived through pain in all its details, tasted suffering and loss many times, yet I never once hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification… If I die, I die steadfast upon my principles,” he wrote. “Do not forget Gaza … and do not forget me in your sincere prayers for forgiveness and acceptance.”
The Israeli 'democratic' justice system, supported by America: 'kill first, don't ask questions later.'