Anas al-Sharif, a 28-year-old Al Jazeera correspondent described by the network’s managing editor Mohamed Moawad as “the only voice left inside Gaza City,” was among five journalists killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza.

Al-Sharif’s reporting provided crucial firsthand accounts from inside Gaza, where international news organizations face severe restrictions. Moawad condemned the strike as a “targeted assassination” and denounced Israeli claims that al-Sharif had links to Hamas as baseless.

“Anas was doing one thing: reporting and giving voice to the voiceless inside the city of Gaza,” Moawad said, highlighting the vital role al-Sharif played in keeping the world informed amid the conflict.

The tragic loss of al-Sharif and his colleagues has intensified calls for greater protection of journalists working in conflict zones and raised serious questions about press freedom during the ongoing Gaza crisis.