Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called on Monday (August 11) for a strong international response after a prominent Al Jazeera journalist, who had previously been threatened by Israel, was killed along with four colleagues in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.
Israel's military said it targeted and killed Anas Al Sharif on Sunday (August 10) alleging he had headed a Hamas militant cell and was involved in rocket attacks on Israel. Reuters has asked for an on-camera interview with an Israeli military spokesperson on the strike.
Al Jazeera, which is funded by the Qatari government, rejected the assertion, and before his death Al Sharif had also denied such claims by Israel.
RSF had denounced Israel's allegations against Al Sharif last October, the head of the group's Middle East desk Jonathan Dagher said, saying Israel had provided "completely insufficient" evidence.
Dagher said there had to be consequences for the killing of journalists and said RSF had helped journalists who managed to leave Gaza to file requests to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Israel denies deliberately targeting journalists, saying many of those killed in Israeli airstrikes were members of Islamist militant groups, working under the guise of the press.
The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said 238 journalists have been killed since the war started on October 7, 2023. The Committee to Protect Journalists said at least 186 journalists have been killed in the Gaza conflict.