By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
The Merit Newspaper (Online)
A series of incidents over the past three years have seen Al Jazeera journalists killed during Israeli military operations, prompting renewed calls from press freedom organisations for independent investigations.
On August 10, 2025, an Israeli airstrike near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City killed five journalists working for Al Jazeera: Anas al-Sharif, Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that al-Sharif was a Hamas commander, but has not provided independently verifiable evidence.
On July 31, 2024, correspondent Ismail al-Ghoul and cameraman Rami al-Rifi were killed when their marked press vehicle was struck in Gaza’s Al-Shati refugee camp, according to Al Jazeera and local media reports. The IDF said at the time that it was targeting militant infrastructure in the area.
On May 11, 2022, veteran Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot during an Israeli raid in Jenin in the West Bank, despite wearing a clearly marked PRESS vest and helmet. Israel later acknowledged there was a “high probability” she had been killed by an Israeli soldier but said the shooting was accidental.
Other journalists killed in similar circumstances include Samer Abu Daqqa in December 2023 and Hossam Shabat in March 2025. Press freedom monitors say none of these cases has yet led to prosecutions.
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The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called the killings “part of a deeply concerning pattern” and urged the United Nations and the International Criminal Court to investigate. The Israeli government maintains that its military operations target militants and that any civilian deaths, including those of journalists, are unintended.
Under international humanitarian law, journalists operating in conflict zones are considered civilians and are protected from targeting. Violations may constitute war crimes if shown to be deliberate or reckless.
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The United Nations Human Rights Office has said it continues to monitor the situation and review available evidence.
