On the first anniversary of colleague Anas al-Sharif's death, Al Jazeera expressed its condolences for him and all journalists from the network and the press community in the Gaza Strip who have been killed. Anas is remembered for his courage, steadfastness, and dedication to his profession and mission.
Anas al-Sharif worked tirelessly from northern Gaza until he was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting Al Jazeera's tent outside al-Shifa Hospital. The attack also claimed the lives of five other journalists, including reporter Mohammed Qreiqeh, cameramen Mohammed Noufal and Ibrahim Zaher, and two journalists, Moamen Aliwa and Mohammed al-Khalidi.
The press corps in Gaza has established a new model of journalism in an unprecedented wartime context, as Israel imposed a complete blockade on the strip, cutting off electricity and water, blocking humanitarian aid, and preventing foreign reporters from accessing the scene.
Local journalists have had to live in displacement, losing their homes and offices. They have been targeted while working in the field, inside their work tents, and even in their own homes with their families. Even journalists receiving treatment in hospitals have not been safe. The twin attack on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis last August killed 22 people, including five journalists working for Al Jazeera and other international media outlets.
The attacks on journalists have occurred despite them wearing bulletproof vests, helmets, or press badges. The very equipment that was supposed to protect them became a marker for Israeli forces to target. The international community's silence over these war crimes is seen as complicity with Israel.
To date, Israel has killed about 265 journalists in Gaza. The total number of casualties from the genocide there has reached a quarter of a million people. Despite the heavy price, journalists continue their mission, reporting on the lives of people amid the bombing.
Al Jazeera stresses that preventing these crimes can only be achieved by holding the perpetrators accountable. Without punishment, the deaths of Anas, Mohammed, Ismail, Samer, and all their colleagues will be in vain. The world has participated in killing them twice: once through silence in the face of the crimes, and again through silence in the face of the perpetrators not being brought to trial.
