Deliberate Targeting of Gaza Journalists: From ‘Policy’ to Global Outcry

August 17, 2025 – Palestine – 

In an exclusive interview with the Tehran Times, Abdul‑Qader Fayez, head of Al Jazeera’s office in Tehran, asserts that the killing of journalists in Gaza—including that of correspondent Anas al-Sharif—is no accident, but a deliberate feature of Israel’s military and political strategy under Prime Minister Netanyahu. Fayez emphasizes that Palestinian media workers are being treated as “military targets simply because they reject Israel’s narrative.” He highlights growing consensus among international human rights groups and media watchdogs that these killings reflect a systematic policy, pointing to repeated unfounded accusations branding journalists as Hamas operatives as part of a campaign to justify attacks and suppress independent reporting.

This allegation follows a devastating Israeli airstrike on 10 August 2025, which killed Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif along with four colleagues and two others in a tent near al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The Israeli Defense Forces claimed al-Sharif was linked to Hamas, but offered no credible evidence—and media freedom organizations, along with Al Jazeera, dismissed this as a smear to rationalize his killing.

The incident triggered an international backlash. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the killings as a grave violation of international humanitarian law. UN Secretary‑General António Guterres, the EU, and multiple press‑freedom groups called for independent investigations and stronger protections for media workers. Al Jazeera denounced the attack as a “blatant and premeditated” violation of press freedom, charging that Israel “admitted to its crimes” through a subtle acknowledgement of targeting the journalists’ location.

These events have amplified concerns over the growing dangers faced by Gaza’s press corps. Fayez’s assertion that such killings represent a deliberate strategy underscores fears that silencing journalists has become an aim unto itself—not merely collateral damage. The convergence of political commentary and human rights condemnation underscores a critical crossroads: when witnessing becomes perilous, truth itself is under siege.

Reference – 

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/516889/Exclusive-Killing-journalists-in-Gaza-is-Israel-s-policy-says

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/11/tributes-condemnation-pour-in-for-slain-al-jazeera-journalists-in-gaza#:~:text=The%20Al%20Jazeera%20Media%20Network%20has%20condemned%20%E2%80%9Cin%20the%20strongest,attack%20at%20the%20journalists’%20location.