Al Jazeera Media Network has strongly condemned the Israeli military for its “campaign of incitement” against its reporters in the Gaza Strip, particularly Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent Anas al-Sharif. The network considers this incitement a “dangerous attempt to justify the targeting of its journalists in the field”.
The statement comes after Israeli army spokesperson Avichai Adraee reshared a video on social media accusing al-Sharif of being a member of Hamas’s military wing, a claim that has been forcefully rejected as false. Israel has routinely accused Palestinian journalists in Gaza of being members of Hamas since launching its war on the enclave in October 2023, which rights groups say is an effort to discredit their reporting on Israeli abuses.
The Israeli military has killed more than 200 reporters and media workers since its bombardment began, including several Al Jazeera journalists and their relatives. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has expressed deep concern over Adraee’s threats against al-Sharif, calling on the international community to protect him. “This is not the first time Al-Sharif has been targeted by the Israeli military, but the danger to his life is now acute,” CPJ’s Regional Director Sara Qudah said.
Al-Sharif has faced previous threats and attacks, including the killing of his 90-year-old father in December 2023, after receiving threats from Israeli military officers via phone. The CPJ had already noted a pattern of journalists in Gaza reporting threats, followed by the killing of their family members. Al-Sharif continues to report from Gaza, despite the extreme risks, and has been recognized for his work, including receiving the Best Young Journalist Award in Palestine in 2018.
The Media Network holds the Israeli authorities “fully responsible” for the safety of its staff and calls on states and international organisations to ensure the protection of all journalists in Gaza. The network highlights the burden on its journalists, who “have shouldered the responsibility of conveying the truth as they witness it firsthand, despite enduring extreme hardships, including starvation, violence, terror, and a complete lack of life’s most basic necessities”.