Death of an Al Jazeera reporter: Israel in the focus of criticism!

Death of an Al Jazeera reporter: Israel in the focus of criticism!

On August 11, 2025, a tragic incident occurred in the Gaza Strip in which Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif and four other journalists were killed by an Israeli airstrike. This attack targeted a tent housing journalists during the ongoing conflict and took place in Gaza City, directly in front of Al-Shifa Hospital. According to Radio Euskirchen, the Israeli army confirmed the killings and described al-Sharif as a "terrorist" who allegedly led a Hamas cell.

Among the other fatalities are Mohammed Kreikeh, Ibrahim Saher, Moamen Aliwa and Mohammed Nufal. According to ZDF, the spokesman for the German Foreign Office expressed his horror at the events and described the killings of journalists as “absolutely inadmissible”, in line with international humanitarian law. The German government called on Israel to provide a transparent explanation of the necessity of these attacks.

The critical situation for journalists

The situation for journalists in the Gaza Strip has worsened significantly in recent months. Since the conflict began in October 2023, over 200 media workers have been killed, including 186 in the Gaza Strip alone, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). CPJ notes that Israel often treats journalists as military targets. During this period, many reports have been issued about the most dangerous working environment for reporters in the last 30 years, with the numbers being exceeded in some cases according to Tagesschau.

The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic and continues to worsen. Today, only Palestinian journalists report from the room under the most adverse conditions, although many of their colleagues have lost their lives. Reporters like TRT World's Nizar Zadawi make it clear that reporting is done under enormous pressure and the risk is constantly increasing. There are reports of targeted killings, but these have not yet been proven. In general, freedom of the press is viewed as being under serious threat.

Reactions and demands

In an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, Israel's military practice was sharply criticized. Al-Jazeera said it was a "premeditated attack on press freedom" and rejected claims about al-Sharif's military affiliation. The German Association of Journalists (DJV) also called for an immediate stop to attacks on media workers and emphasized that even possible affiliation with terrorism cannot be a justification for the killing of journalists.

The Foreign Press Association in Israel expressed outrage at the repeated stigmatization of Palestinian journalists by the Israeli armed forces. The Israeli government, on the other hand, is sticking to its military strategy and sees the killings as part of its measures in the Middle East's longest-running conflict. The international community sees itself as having a responsibility to fight for press freedom and promote the protection of journalists in conflict areas.