Israel targets and kills Al Jazeera correspondent

Jerusalem: Israel’s military said it carried out an airstrike in Gaza late Sunday that killed Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif, fellow reporter Mohamed Qreiqeh, four other journalists, and two others near Shifa Hospital. Hospital officials confirmed the deaths and reported damage to the hospital’s emergency entrance.

The Israeli army alleged al-Sharif led a Hamas cell, a claim he and Al Jazeera had previously denied. The network called the incident a “targeted assassination,” linking it to earlier accusations made against its journalists.

“Anas and his colleagues were among the last remaining voices from within Gaza,” Al Jazeera said.

The UN human rights office condemned the strike, calling it a “grave breach of international humanitarian law.” The Committee to Protect Journalists said at least 186 reporters have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began. Al-Sharif, 28, had posted a farewell message before his death, pledging to “convey the truth… without distortion.”