Five Al Jazeera journalists, including well-known correspondent Anas al-Sharif, were killed on August 10 in what the network described as an Israeli strike near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
According to Al Jazeera, al-Sharif, fellow reporter Mohammed Qreiqeh, and cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and Moamen Aliwa were inside a press tent at the hospital’s main gate when it was hit. The broadcaster called the incident a “targeted assassination” and “yet another blatant and premeditated attack on press freedom.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it had intentionally targeted al-Sharif, claiming he led a Hamas militant cell and was involved in planning rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers.
This incident is part of a growing pattern in which journalists are increasingly caught in the crossfire of modern conflicts. International law has made efforts to establish provisions that afford protection to journalists and media professionals, including those conducting reporting activities in areas of armed conflict. Despite these principles, the denial of the observance of these protections, as well as for international humanitarian law in general, has greatly accelerated.
But what, exactly, does international law say about press freedom? How should journalists be considered in areas of conflict? Click through this gallery to learn more.