Committee to Protect Journalists Demands Independent Investigation into the Killing of six Journalists in Gaza
New York: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has expressed outrage over the death of six Palestinian journalists in an Israeli airstrike and called it a deliberate killing of journalists for their work. Recently, six journalists were killed in Gaza in an Israeli attack.
Israeli officials said they were targeting Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif, 28. Israel claims that Anas was a Hamas commander and is suspected of carrying out rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers.
Israel did not make any claims about the remaining five journalists, three of them Anas al-Sharif's Al Jazeera colleagues and the other two local journalists. In a post shared on the social media platform X, an Israeli military spokesman said, "Prior to the attack, we received intelligence that suggests that Anas was an active member of Hamas' military wing at the time of his killing."
Israel Strike in Gaza City Killed Six Journalists including Al Jazeera's Anas Al-Sharif #Gaza #GazaGenocide https://t.co/54UgrSgLlo
— VOiCE OF MEDIA (@voiceofmedia1) August 11, 2025
An Israeli military spokesman also posted photos on X showing Anas al-Sharif hugging Hamas mastermind Yahya Ibrahim Hassan Sinwar during the October 2023 attack on Israel.
Israel says it has more confidential evidence that includes even more serious details. The CPJ said it is impossible to verify the claims without seeing the full details, but the photo itself is no proof. Many senior journalists take selfies with people they have interviewed, including some very unpleasant individuals. Many will also have phone numbers of extremists.
Gaza: Al Jazeera's journalist Anas Al Sharif along with 2 other reporters & three cameramen were killed in an airstrike carried out by Israeli army in Gaza on Sunday. Al Jazeera has strongly condemned this attack & called it a conspiracy to suppress the voice of journalists. pic.twitter.com/vxLeT5rNM2
— VOiCE OF MEDIA (@voiceofmedia1) August 11, 2025
The CPJ said Israel could be right and Anas may have been working for Hamas. If he is, Israeli authorities should allow independent investigators to visit Gaza to investigate.
The CPJ said 184 media workers have been killed in Gaza since 2023. This is the deadliest conflict for journalists so far. CPJ has identified 24 journalists who were targeted and killed for doing their journalism.
