Al-Sharif left behind what he called his “will and final message,” and wrote, “This is my will and my final message. If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice”.
Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif was killed late Sunday evening in an Israeli strike on Gaza City, alongside four of his colleagues. The deadly assault struck a tent for journalists stationed outside the main gate of al-Shifa Hospital, claiming seven lives in total. Al Jazeera confirmed the deaths of al-Sharif and fellow correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh, as well as cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa. In a statement, the broadcaster denounced the strike as a “blatant and premeditated attack on press freedom”, hailing al-Sharif as “one of Gaza’s bravest journalists” who had reported relentlessly from the front lines since the outbreak of war.
Anas al-Sharif, the 28-year-old journalist, spent his final hours documenting the chaos around him, posting a haunting video on X that captured the “intense, concentrated Israeli bombardment” pounding Gaza City. Al-Sharif left behind what he called his “will and final message,” a deeply personal testament to his commitment to truth. “This is my will and my final message. If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice,” he wrote.
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Anas al-Sharif’s ‘Do Not Forget Gaza’ Call
From the confines of Jabalia refugee camp, where he had endured a lifetime of siege and sorrow, al-Sharif reflected on the relentless pain he had witnessed yet never once wavering in his duty. He entrusted his readers with “Palestine—the jewel in the crown of the Muslim world” and urged them never to let “chains silence you, nor borders restrain you.”
He spoke of returning to his ancestral home in occupied Asqalan and addressed his mother, his wife Bayan, and his children Sham and Salah—children he would never live to see grow. “If I die, I die steadfast upon my principles,” he declared. “Do not forget Gaza… And do not forget me in your sincere prayers.”
The Israeli military admitted to targeting Anas, branding him a “terrorist” and accusing him of leading a Hamas cell involved in rocket attacks—allegations firmly rejected by colleagues and press freedom advocates.
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Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the attack, accusing Israel of a “pattern of labelling journalists as militants without providing credible evidence” and calling the killings “appalling.” For months, al-Sharif had faced online targeting by Israeli military officials, with the CPJ previously urging protective measures for him.
Anas’ death comes amid what media watchdogs call an unprecedented slaughter of the press in Gaza—more than 200 journalists have been killed since the war erupted 22 months ago. As Israel signals an escalation of its military campaign, UN officials have warned the Security Council of “another calamity” that could unleash more death, destruction, and mass displacement upon Gaza’s two million residents.