JERUSALEM (dpa-AFX) - Five Al Jazeera journalists were killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza City late Sunday night.
The Israeli military said the military operation targeted 28-year-old correspondent of the Qatari news network, Anas al-Sharif, alleging that he had 'served as the head of a terrorist cell in Hamas.'
In a statement, IDF claimed that it has documents that prove his 'military affiliation' with Hamas, including 'personnel rosters, lists of terrorist training courses, phone directories, and salary documents'.
'The documents once again confirm his involvement in terrorist activities, from which the Al Jazeera network has attempted to disassociate itself,' it added.
Al Jazeera said it was a 'targeted assassination' and 'yet another blatant and premeditated attack on press freedom.'
In all, seven people were killed in the attack on a tent located outside the al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Al Jazeera said besides Anas al-Sharif, its other staff killed in the attack are correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh and photojournalists Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa.
With this, the number of journalists killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 2023 has increased to 186, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
'Journalists in Gaza face extreme, often fatal risks as they try to cover the war, including relentless Israeli airstrikes, the destruction of most of the territory's infrastructure, the forced displacement of 90% of Gaza's population, trauma and widespread famine,' it said in a statement.
Last month, the BBC and three other news agencies - Reuters, AP and AFP - issued a joint statement expressing 'desperate concern' for journalists in the Strip, who they say are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families.
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