UN Experts Condemn Killing of Four Al Jazeera Journalists in Gaza as Deliberate Attack

The journalists — correspondent Anas Al-Sharif, reporter Mohammed Qreiqeh, and cameramen Ibrahim Zaher and Mohammed Noufal — were killed on 10 August 2025 in an Israeli airstrike near al-Shifa Hospital in eastern Gaza City.

United Nations human rights experts have condemned the killing of four Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza, describing the incident as a deliberate attempt to silence reporting on what they called an ongoing “genocide and starvation campaign” in the besieged territory. The journalists — correspondent Anas Al-Sharif, reporter Mohammed Qreiqeh, and cameramen Ibrahim Zaher and Mohammed Noufal — were killed on 10 August 2025 in an Israeli airstrike near al-Shifa Hospital in eastern Gaza City.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the attack, claiming it was targeted and alleging that Al-Sharif was the head of a Hamas terrorist cell, citing unspecified intelligence and documents found in Gaza. However, UN Special Rapporteurs dismissed these claims as part of a broader pattern of harassment and disinformation aimed at discrediting journalists critical of Israeli military operations.

Pattern of Threats and Smear Campaigns

The experts noted that this was not the first time Al-Sharif had been singled out. On 31 July 2025, UN officials had already raised alarm over threats and unsubstantiated accusations made against him by an Israeli army spokesperson. At the time, they warned that such tactics — branding reporters as enemy combatants — were a “well-known, shameful” method used to undermine credible reporting and justify targeting media professionals.

“It is outrageous that the Israeli army dares to first smear Anas Al-Sharif as Hamas to discredit his reporting, and then kill him and his colleagues for speaking the truth to the world,” the experts said. They added that the timing of the attack — just as Israel announced plans to take control of Gaza City — reinforced the suspicion that the killings were premeditated to suppress coverage of military actions.

Calls for Independent Investigation and Media Access

The UN experts have demanded an immediate, independent investigation into the killings, as well as urgent access for international journalists to enter Gaza. They stressed that if Israel had nothing to hide, it should have no objection to outside scrutiny.

“If Israel again refuses an independent investigation or access for international journalists, it will reconfirm its own culpability and cover-up of the genocide,” they said, warning that continued obstruction would further erode Israel’s credibility on the international stage.

The statement also criticised the lack of credible evidence linking the slain journalists to terrorism, noting that no such proof has been presented in any of the numerous cases where reporters have been killed in Gaza during the current conflict.

Accusations of Impunity and Calls for Sanctions

“These are acts of an arrogant army that believes itself to be impune, no matter the gravity of the crimes it commits,” the experts said. “The impunity must end. The States that continue to support Israel must now place tough sanctions against its government in order to end the killings, the atrocities, and the mass starvation.”

The killings come amid intensifying Israeli military operations in Gaza and heightened international concern over civilian casualties, infrastructure destruction, and the blockade’s humanitarian toll. Al Jazeera has repeatedly accused Israel of targeting its journalists and facilities, claims that have been echoed by press freedom organisations worldwide.

The UN experts confirmed they are in direct contact with the Israeli government regarding the incident and reiterated that “journalism is not terrorism.” They warned that the continued targeting of reporters not only violates international humanitarian law but also undermines the global principle of press freedom.