By Ahmad Awad
Gaza City (EFE).- Palestinian journalists in Gaza are mourning the loss of six colleagues, including prominent Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al Sharif, killed when an Israeli strike hit a press tent near Al Shifa Hospital on Sunday night.
The attack left only shrapnel-pocked debris, blood stains, and the charred remains of equipment where the reporters had been working.
“Anas al Sharif was an icon for us, an icon of journalism. He never stopped conveying the pain, suffering, and sorrows of the people, and the truth that the occupation tries to erase by killing journalists,” reporter Mohamed Qita told EFE.
According to the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate, the strike killed Al Jazeera reporters Anas al Sharif and Mohamed Qraiqea; photo journalists Ibrahim Zaher and Moamen Aliwa; assistant photographer Mohamed Nofal; and, confirmed Monday, Mohamed al Khalidi from the Sahat platform.
Al Jazeera cameraman Ahmad al Harazin survived because he had stepped out to get dinner.
Survivors describe the moment of the attack
Qita, who was in a nearby tent, recalled hearing a sudden blast: “We were in the journalists’ tent as usual when we heard a sound, and suddenly we were in the middle of the explosion. I saw Anas flying out of the tent, which was engulfed in flames. I shouted, ‘Anas, Anas!’”
He suffered shrapnel wounds and burns while trying to extinguish the Qraiqea’s burning body.
“This is the most serious crime against Palestinian journalists. It obliges the international community to protect Palestinian journalism,” said Eid Firuani of the journalists’ syndicate.
The attack came less than two weeks after the killing of another well-known Al Jazeera journalist, Ismail al Ghoul, on Jul. 31.
Qita estimates that around 270 journalists have been killed since the start of the conflict.
“After Anas, there will be a million Anases,” he vowed.
Israel confirmed it carried out the strike, claiming Al Sharif was linked to Hamas and producing two documents as evidence, though their origin could not be verified.
Colleagues dismissed Israeli accusations that Al Sharif manipulated footage of starving children in Gaza hospitals.
“Let any international body or medical institution see the real figures of children suffering from malnutrition and famine. These are the images the occupation calls fake,” said Wadie Abu Saud, a Yemeni TV correspondent in Gaza.
“We have a just cause. We have no weapons, only a microphone and a camera. Our only crime is taking pictures so the world can see the injustice of this occupation,” he added.
“We don’t have weapons, just a microphone”
Al Sharif, known for his reporting on the humanitarian crisis, had faced repeated threats.
His home was attacked, his father killed, and he had written a farewell letter in April to be published upon his death: “If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice.”
Firuani said the killings were “punishment” for coverage of famine in Gaza, which has fueled global pressure on Israel. He and Qita believe the attack may be a prelude to a ground operation in Gaza City.
“This operation will be accompanied by numerous crimes,” Qita warned. “If we do not expose these crimes, if we do not cover them, we will all die.” EFE
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