Israeli Airstrike Kills Five Al Jazeera Journalists in Gaza

Gaza City, August 11, 2025 – An Israeli airstrike on a media tent outside al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City has killed five Al Jazeera journalists, marking a devastating blow to press freedom in the region. The attack, described by sources as deliberate, targeted a group of journalists clearly identifiable by their media vests and equipment. The victims were Anas al-Sharif, 28; Mohammed Qreiqeh, 33; Ibrahim Zaher, 25; Mohammed Noufal, 29; and Moamen Aliwa, 23. Two others were also killed in the strike, bringing the total death toll to seven.

This incident adds to a grim tally of Al Jazeera journalists killed by Israeli forces since the onset of the war in Gaza on October 7, 2023. According to reports, at least five other Al Jazeera journalists have been killed in separate attacks over the past two years. On December 14, 2023, cameraman Samer Abudaqa was fatally wounded in an airstrike in Khan Younis while reporting alongside Gaza bureau chief Wael Dahdouh, who survived with injuries. Abudaqa was left to bleed out as Israeli forces reportedly blocked emergency workers from reaching him.

On January 7, 2024, Wael Dahdouh’s son, Hamza Dahdouh, also an Al Jazeera journalist, was killed in a missile strike on a vehicle in Khan Younis. On July 31, 2024, Ismail al-Ghoul and cameraman Rami al-Rifi were killed in an attack on their clearly marked media vehicle in the Shati refugee camp. On December 15, 2023, Ahmed al-Louh was killed in an airstrike in Nuseirat camp. Most recently, on March 24, 2025, Hossam Shabat, 23, was killed in Beit Lahiya. The war in Gaza has proven to be the deadliest conflict for journalists in modern history. Brown University’s Costs of War project reports that more journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 2023 than in the U.S. Civil War, both World Wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Yugoslav conflicts, and the post-9/11 war in Afghanistan combined. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) noted that 2024 was the deadliest year on record for journalists, with over 120 killed globally, including more than 50 in Gaza alone since the start of 2025. The targeting of journalists has sparked widespread condemnation, with many calling for accountability and protection for media workers in conflict zones. Al Jazeera and other organizations have accused Israel of deliberately targeting journalists, pointing to the use of marked vehicles and vests in several incidents. Israel has not publicly commented on the latest attack.

As the conflict continues, the loss of these journalists underscores the immense dangers faced by those reporting from Gaza, where nearly 270 media workers have been killed since the war began, according to local and international reports.