'Press badge isn’t shield for terrorism': Israel defends killing Al Jazeera journalist in Gaza, year after eliminating his father

Israel has defended the killing of Anas al-Sharif in Gaza City by its military, calling him a ‘Hamas terrorist.’ Five Al Jazeera journalists, including Anas, were killed in an Israeli strike on Sunday. In a statement, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that Anas was a 'Hamas terrorist who posed as an Al-Jazeera journalist.' The IDF claimed that he was the head of a Hamas terrorist cell and planned precision rocket attacks. It accused him of rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and IDF troops. Israel also claimed that intelligence and documents from Gaza, including terrorist training lists and salary records, prove that he was a Hamas operative and was later integrated into Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, the UN has condemned the killing of the journalists. Riyad Mansour, the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations, condemned the killing of the journalists and came down heavily on Israel. He also slammed Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu for claiming that there is no famine in the Gaza Strip. He said, "Why don't you, the Security Council, take with you 100 journalists from your countries and other countries to verify exactly what is happening in Gaza? If Netanyahu is so sure of this global conspiracy about a “lie”, let him prove it. I invite you; he should allow you to go to the Gaza Strip and see exactly what is happening there. Take journalists with you so that you can verify exactly what is happening in Gaza.”

Here's what happened

Five Al Jazeera journalists were killed near Gaza City's Al-Shifa Hospital on August 10. They were identified as Al Jazeera correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, as well as cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Moamen Aliwa, and Mohammed Noufal. As per reports, Israel has killed him a year after it bombed his family home in the Jabalia refugee camp and killed his 65-year-old father, Jamal al-Sharif. Twenty-eight-year-old Anas al-Sharif reported about the intensified Israeli offensive in Gaza City moments before news came about his demise. The death of the journalists came after Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's Gaza City plan was approved by the cabinet and the Isareli PM said that he will not annex Gaza City, but its takeover by force is the only way to end the ongoing war.

Anas al-Sharif's last words

A post on Anas al-Sharif's X profile claimed that he had asked his last words to be published if he died in Gaza. In the post, Anas wrote, “If these words of mine reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice.” He also urged the world to stand by Palestine, the people of the country who have been crushed by "Israeli bombs and missiles." "I entrust you with Palestine—the jewel in the crown of the Muslim world, the heartbeat of every free person in this world. I entrust you with its people, with its wronged and innocent children who never had the time to dream or live in safety and peace. Their pure bodies were crushed under thousands of tons of Israeli bombs and missiles, torn apart and scattered across the walls," his statement read. He also said that he lived through pain, tasted suffering and loss many times, but he did not hesitate “to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification.” Al Jazeera also reported that Anas had, time and time again, faced about threat to his life from the Israeli military and urged the entire world to see that the IDF had started a campaign against him, and that he was scared that he was going to be killed.