The Qatar Press Center (QPC) has condemned in the strongest terms the assassination of Al Jazeera correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqea, as well as the deaths of cameramen Ibrahim Daher, Mohammed Nofal and Moamen Aliwa, as a result of a deliberate Israeli bombardment of their tent in front of Al-Shifa Medical Complex in the Gaza Strip.
The centre affirms that since the beginning of the aggression on Gaza, the spokesperson for the Israeli occupation army, Avichay Adraee, and his platforms have continued to wage a systematic incitement campaign against journalist Anas al-Sharif, which has escalated in recent days by accusing him of terrorism.
The Israeli bombing also comes within the framework of a systematic policy pursued by the occupation army since the beginning of its war of extermination against the people of Gaza on Oct 7, 2023, to date. It targets journalists' locations, homes, and tents to prevent them from conveying the truth to the world and to silence their voices forever. The number of journalists martyred to date has reached 237.
A few days ago, the QPC published a statement by Irene Khan, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, condemning the cyberattacks launched by the Israeli occupation army to defame our colleague Anas al-Sharif. She emphasized that the smear campaigns are a blatant attempt to endanger his life and silence his reports documenting the genocide of the population of the Gaza Strip.
In a statement published on the UN website, the UN expert expressed her deep concern about the threats and false accusations directed by the Israeli army against Anas al-Sharif, the last surviving Al Jazeera journalist in northern Gaza. She said: "Concerns about the safety of the Al Jazeera correspondent are justified, and there is growing evidence that journalists in Gaza have been targeted for killing and assassination by the Israeli army, based on baseless allegations that they are 'Hamas terrorists'."
The last thing Anas al-Sharif wrote on his social media accounts was: "This is my will and my final message... If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice." He added, "God knows that I have exerted all my effort and strength to be a support and voice for my people, ever since I opened my eyes to life in the alleys and neighbourhoods of Jabalia refugee camp. I had hoped that God would prolong my life so that I could return with my family and loved ones to our original hometown of occupied Ashkelon (al-Majdal), but God's will was greater, and His judgment is binding."
He said, "I have lived through the pain in all its details, and I have tasted the pain and loss repeatedly. Despite that, I have never hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without falsification or distortion. May God be a witness against those who remained silent, those who accepted our killing, those who held our breath, and those who failed to stop the massacre our people have been subjected to for more than a year and a half. I entrust Palestine to you, the jewel in the crown of Muslims and the heartbeat of every free person in this world."
