Israeli strike in Gaza slays Anas al-Sharif, who Israel says posed as an 'Al Jazeera' journalist while directing rocket attacks for Hamas

The Israel Defense Forces killed Anas al-Sharif, who Israel says posed as a journalist for the Qatari Al Jazeera network but was actively serving as the head of a Hamas terrorist cell.

Al-Sharif, who was slain in Gaza City on Saturday, was responsible for orchestrating and advancing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops, the Israeli military said.

The IDF previously released intelligence and recovered many documents in Gaza that it says shows al-Sharif’s “military” role within Hamas. These materials include personnel rosters, records of terrorist training courses, phone directories and salary documents, all substantiating his alleged involvement as a combatant and commander in Hamas.

The evidence also highlighted al-Sharif’s integration within Al Jazeera, despite the media network’s efforts to distance itself from his activities.

The documents detail al-Sharif’s alleged position as a fighter and cell leader since 2013, including his leadership in rocket units and participation in elite Nukhba battalions. These records not only suggest clear affiliation with terrorist operations but also outline attempts to use journalistic credentials as a cover for operational activity.

“A terrorist with a camera is still a terrorist! I commend our security forces for eliminating the terrorist Anas Jamal Mahmoud Al-Sharif, who operated under the guise of an Al Jazeera journalist,” Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon wrote in an X post on Sunday.

Col. Avichay Adraee, head of the Arab Media Branch in the IDF, posted pictures on X on Sunday showing al-Sharif taking a selfie with Hamas terror leaders, including Yahya Sinwar and Khalil al-Hayya. “Only a terrorist sits in the gatherings of terrorists,” Adraee wrote. The Committee to Protect Journalists and others described the death of al-Sharif and others as retribution against those documenting the war in Gaza. Israel’s military asserted that al-Sharif had led a Hamas cell — an allegation that Al Jazeera and al-Sharif previously dismissed as baseless.

Five of the journalists killed in an Israeli airstrike on Sunday were Al Jazeera staffers. The military has previously said it targeted individuals it described as Hamas terrorists posing as reporters.

The strike came less than a year after Israeli army officials first accused al-Sharif and other Al Jazeera journalists of being members of the militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. In a July 24 video, Adraee attacked Al Jazeera and accused al-Sharif of being part of Hamas’ military wing.

Al Jazeera called the strike a “targeted assassination” and accused Israeli officials of incitement.

“Anas and his colleagues were among the last remaining voices from within Gaza, providing the world with unfiltered, on-the-ground coverage of the devastating realities endured by its people,” the Qatari network said in a statement.

Apart from rare invitations to observe Israeli military operations, international media have been barred from entering Gaza for the duration of the war.

Al Jazeera is blocked in Israel and soldiers raided its offices in the occupied West Bank last year, ordering them closed.

— With files from Jewish News Syndicate and The Associated Press