Berlin/Gaza - Following the fatal attack on several reporters in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army is facing massive international criticism. The death of well-known Al-Jazeera reporter Anas al-Sharif on August 10, in particular, sparked outrage. Al-Sharif and four other journalists were killed in an airstrike in Gaza City.
The Israeli army released excerpts from documents allegedly from Hamas, which allegedly show that Sharif was an active member of the terrorist group. The documents cannot be independently verified. According to an Israeli army spokesperson, in addition to Sharif, another reporter killed was also a terrorist. Israel has not provided any information about the others killed.
Reactions to the killing have been highly critical: The European Union has called for a comprehensive and independent investigation. A spokesperson emphasized that journalists are afforded special protection under international law. The United Nations has also expressed concern: The UN Secretary-General strongly condemned the incident and warned that attacks on press freedom are unacceptable.
Numerous press freedom organizations are also reacting with alarm. Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists are calling for international prosecution. For months, they have documented a shockingly high number of journalists killed in the Gaza war, many of them allegedly under still-unclear circumstances.
In Germany, the federal government demanded an explanation from Israel. The German Journalists' Association spoke of a"hunt" for reporters and warned of an increasing threat to the press worldwide.
Politicians like Priyanka Gandhi of India called the attack a"cold-blooded murder." Human rights organizations criticize Israel for regularly defaming journalists as "terror suspects" to justify their killings. The central demands of many now include independent investigations, protection of press freedom, and consequences for targeted attacks on journalists in war zones.
Israel refutes the criticism, claiming that Sharif was a Hamas terrorist. Photos show him arm in arm with the now-slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Freelance journalist and former Israeli soldier Eitan Fischberger published a Telegram post by al-Sharif, which he allegedly made on October 7, 2023, during the Hamas massacre in Israel. According to Fischberger, the post was deleted—but he has digitally archived it.
This post from October 7 at 3:49 PM states:"For 9 hours, the heroes have still been roaming the country, killing and taking prisoners...God, God, how great you are 💚💚💚."
At this point, Hamas committed the worst massacre in Israel's history: The terrorists murdered over 1,200 people—including women, children, and newborns—and abducted hundreds more as hostages in the Gaza Strip. The images and reports shocked the world.
