Israel has killed at least 168 Palestinian journalists since the beginning of the brutal war in the Gaza Strip on October 7.
Al Jazeera has condemned Israel’s “act of intimidation and incitement” against its journalist in Gaza, Anas Al-Sharif, following allegations made against him by the Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee.
“Such remarks are not only an attack on Anas’s character and integrity but also a clear attempt to stifle the truth and silence those who are courageously reporting from Gaza,” the Qatar-based network said in a statement on Saturday.
“Anas has seen the aftermath of horrific events, including the killing of over 100 civilians today, and yet, he continues to report with integrity and courage,” it added, calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Al-Sharif and all journalists covering the reality in Gaza.
The media network was referring to allegations made by Adraee against the Al Jazeera journalist following the Israeli massacre at the al-Tabin School in the Daraj neighbourhood of Gaza City.
Israel has killed more than 100 people, mostly women and children, who were sheltering in the school after being displaced numerous times throughout the war.
The Israeli military was quick to justify the attack, alleging that it had “received clear intelligence” regarding the presence of 19 Hamas fighters on the ground.
Hamas dismissed the Israeli allegations, noting that all of the victims of the massacre were civilians who were performing the Fajr prayers.
In a post on X, Adraee accused Al-Sharif and Al Jazeera of “covering up the crimes of Hamas and Jihad by taking shelter inside schools,” echoing Israeli allegations made against the network and to justify the killings of Palestinians.
“I am convinced that Anas Al-Sharif knows the names of a large number of those killed inside the school of the followers of Hamas terrorists, but he is moving in a false media play with motives that have nothing to do with the people of Gaza,” Adraee alleged.
Al Jazeera reiterated its commitment to supporting its journalists in their coverage despite the dangers they face on the ground, noting that it “will not be intimidated.”
“Anas Al-Sharif, like many of his brave colleagues, is committed to uncovering and sharing the realities of the situation on the ground, no matter how difficult or dangerous it may be. His work is driven by a deep responsibility to the people of Gaza and to the truth, rather than any political agenda,” the statement said.
“We hold the Israeli government fully responsible for Anas’s safety and warn that this rhetoric signals an intention to target him, just as they did with Ismail Al Ghoul and Rami Al Rifi, in a bid to conceal the truth of what is happening in Gaza,” it added.
Al Jazeera was referring to its journalist and cameraman who were killed on July 31 in a direct Israeli airstrike on their vehicle in the Al-Shati refugee camp, hours after Israel killed Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh.
Israeli occupation forces alleged that Al-Ghoul was a “Hamas military wing” operative, admitting that they deliberately targeted him.
Al Jazeera then refuted the “baseless allegations” by Israeli occupation forces, highlighting Israel’s “long history of fabrications and false evidence used to cover up its heinous crimes.”
Al-Ghoul is among at least 168 Palestinian journalists killed by Israel since the beginning of the brutal war in the Gaza Strip on October 7. The journalists are among at least 39,790 people killed in the Gaza Strip over the past 10 months.
The killing of Al-Ghoul came amid Israel’s targeting of Al Jazeera staff and their families, especially those who have been covering the war in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli government unanimously voted to shut down Al Jazeera’s local bureau on May 5, seeking to censor the Qatar-based network outside of Gaza. The decision was extended on July 21 for 45 additional days.
