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The killing of Anas al-Sharif and Western journalism’s moral collapse

August 12, 2025

Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif was killed on August 10, 2025, along with five other journalists in Gaza, in what the author describes as a targeted assassination by Israel. Israel claimed al-Sharif was a Hamas member, a justification the author characterizes as false and part of a pattern of targeting journalists. The article criticizes Western media outlets like the BBC and Reuters for uncritically repeating Israel's claims without proper journalistic scrutiny.

Who is affected

  • Anas al-Sharif (Al Jazeera journalist and Amnesty Human Rights Defender award winner)
  • Three other Al Jazeera journalists and two freelance journalists killed alongside al-Sharif
  • Palestinian journalists and media workers in Gaza
  • News consumers receiving potentially biased reporting from Western media outlets
  • Western media organizations accused of journalistic malpractice in their coverage

What action is being taken

  • Israel is conducting what the author describes as targeted killings of journalists in Gaza
  • Western media outlets like BBC and Reuters are repeating Israel's claims about al-Sharif being a Hamas member without sufficient verification
  • Some Twitter users are documenting problematic media coverage through screenshots
  • The Watson School of International and Public Affairs at Brown University is tracking journalist casualties in Gaza

Why it matters

  • According to data from Brown University's Watson School, more media workers have been killed in Gaza than in both World Wars combined
  • The killings represent what the author describes as a threat to press freedom and journalistic integrity
  • The article suggests racial bias influences which journalist deaths receive attention and condemnation from Western media
  • Israel's restriction of foreign journalists in Gaza creates a situation where claims about local journalists cannot be independently verified by Western media

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices