By Black Star News
Photos: YouTube Screenshots
The Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu admitted to murdering five Al Jazeera journalists in a targeted bomb attack. Israel, without any evidence, claimed that Anas Al Sharif, the lead journalist of the team, was supposedly affiliated with Hamas.
Besides Al Sharif, correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh and camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa — as well as freelance journalist Mohammad al-Khaldi, were murdered by the Israeli regime.
In a statement, Al Jazeera denounced the murders of their journalists.
“Al Jazeera Media Network condemns in the strongest terms the targeted assassination of its correspondents Anas Al Sharif and Mohammed Qraiqea, along with photographers Ibrahim Al Thaher, and Mohamed Nofal, by the Israeli occupation forces in yet another blatant and premeditated attack on press freedom. In a statement by the Israeli occupation force, admitting to their crimes, the journalists were targeted by a directed assault towards the tent where they were stationed opposite Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza. In which they were martyred. This attack comes amid the catastrophic consequences of the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza, which has seen the relentless slaughter of civilians, forced starvation, and the obliteration of entire communities.”
Al Jazeera said the murders were meant to “silence the voices exposing the impending seizure and occupation of Gaza.”
The murders were also condemned by the Committee to Protect Journalists.
“Israel is murdering the messengers,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “Israel wiped out an entire news crew. It has made no claims that any of the other journalists were terrorists. That’s murder. Plain and simple. It is no coincidence that the smears against al-Sharif — who has reported night and day for Al Jazeera since the start of the war — surfaced every time he reported on a major development in the war, most recently the starvation brought about by Israel’s refusal to allow sufficient aid into the territory”
Al Sharif, had been accused by Israel Defense Forces spokesman Avichay Adrae of being a member of Hamas and working for “for the most criminal and offensive channel.” Al Sharif told CPJ in July, “Adraee’s campaign is not only a media threat or an image destruction; it is a real-life threat. All of this is happening because my coverage of the crimes of the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip harms them and damages their image in the world. They accuse me of being a terrorist because the occupation wants to assassinate me morally.”
CPJ’s Qudah warned about Israel’s unprecedented killings of journalists.
“If Israel can kill the most prominent Gazan journalist, then it can kill anyone. The world needs to see these deadly attacks on journalists inside Gaza, as well as its censorship of journalists in Israel and the West Bank, for what they are: a deliberate and systematic attempt to cover up Israel’s actions. Israel has killed more journalists in the 22 months since the start of the war than were killed worldwide in the preceding three years. Deliberately targeting journalists is a war crime under international law. This massacre must end.”
With these latest murders of journalists, Israel has killed almost 200 journalists (some say it is as high as 265) since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza.
Al Jazeera is calling on the international community to act against Israel.
“While vehemently condemning these heinous crimes and the ongoing attempts by Israeli authorities to silence the truth, Al Jazeera Media Network calls on the international community and all relevant organisations to take decisive measures to halt this ongoing genocide and end the deliberate targeting of journalists. Al Jazeera emphasises that immunity for perpetrators and the lack of accountability embolden Israel’s actions and encourage further oppression against witnesses to the truth.”
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