Anas al-Sharif: Famed Al Jazeera journalist’s final message before Israeli strike kills him and four others in Gaza
Famed Al-Jazeera Arabic correspondent Anas al-Sharif declared in his final message that Israel had “succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice” before he was killed in an Israeli drone strike on a media tent outside Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital.
The 28-year-old correspondent was among five Al Jazeera staff members killed late on Sunday in what the network called a “targeted assassination” by Israeli forces. The journalists were sheltering in the tent when it was struck at around 11.35pm (8.35pmGMT), according to colleague Hani al-Shaer.
Seven people died in total, including correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh, 33, and camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, 25; Moamen Aliwa, 23; and Mohammed Noufal, 29. Freelance reporter Mohammed al-Khaldi was also killed. Reporters Without Borders said three more journalists were wounded.
“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. First, peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings,” al-Sharif wrote in a post published on his X (formerly Twitter) account after his death.
Al-Sharif’s final message, shared alongside a longer will, reflected his life’s work documenting the war in Gaza and his determination to speak the truth. “Allah knows I gave every effort and all my strength to be a support and a voice for my people… My hope was that Allah would extend my life so I could return with my family and loved ones to our original town of occupied Asqalan (Al-Majdal). But Allah’s will came first, and His decree is final,” he wrote.
He condemned those who “stayed silent” and “accepted our killing”, describing the devastation of Gaza and urging others “not to let chains silence you, nor borders restrain you”. He entrusted the people of Palestine and his family — including his young daughter Sham — to those who would carry his mission forward.
In a separate part of his will, Al-Sharif appealed for care for his son Salah, his wife Umm Salah (Bayan), and his mother, praising their steadfastness and faith. “Do not forget Gaza… And do not forget me in your sincere prayers for forgiveness and acceptance,” he wrote.
Funerals for the five Al Jazeera journalists were held on Monday in Gaza City, where hundreds carried their bodies from al-Shifa Hospital to Sheikh Radwan Cemetery. Mourners chanted against the killings, with some pledging, “With our soul and blood, we sacrifice for you, Anas.”
Al Jazeera Media Network accused Israel of deliberately targeting its journalists, calling the strike “another blatant and premeditated assault on press freedom”. The network said, “The Israeli military admitted to their crimes.”
This latest attack follows a series of Israeli strikes on Al Jazeera journalists since the war began. At least five others from the network had been killed before Sunday, including cameraman Samer Abudaqa, who bled to death in December 2023 after Israeli forces blocked rescuers from reaching him, and Hamza Dahdouh, son of Gaza bureau chief Wael Dahdouh, killed in January 2024.
Just minutes before he was killed, Al-Sharif warned in a post on X: “If this madness doesn’t end, Gaza will be reduced to ruins, its people’s voices silenced, their faces erased – and history will remember you as a silent witness to a genocide that you chose not to stop.”
Israel shared a statement in which it announced its military had kiled al-Sharif, accusing him of being in charge of a Hamas cell.
Anas al-Sharif’s final message in full
“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. First, peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings.
“Allah knows I gave every effort and all my strength to be a support and a voice for my people, ever since I opened my eyes to life in the alleys and streets of the Jabalia refugee camp. My hope was that Allah would extend my life so I could return with my family and loved ones to our original town of occupied Asqalan (Al-Majdal). But Allah’s will came first, and His decree is final. I have lived through pain in all its details, tasted suffering and loss many times, yet I never once hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification—so that Allah may bear witness against those who stayed silent, those who accepted our killing, those who choked our breath, and whose hearts were unmoved by the scattered remains of our children and women, doing nothing to stop the massacre that our people have faced for more than a year and a half.
“I entrust you with Palestine—the jewel in the crown of the Muslim world, the heartbeat of every free person in this world. I entrust you with its people, with its wronged and innocent children who never had the time to dream or live in safety and peace. Their pure bodies were crushed under thousands of tons of Israeli bombs and missiles, torn apart and scattered across the walls.
“I urge you to not let chains silence you, nor borders restrain you. Be bridges toward the liberation of the land and its people, until the sun of dignity and freedom rises over our stolen homeland. I entrust you to take care of my family. I entrust you with my beloved daughter Sham, the light of my eyes, whom I never got the chance to watch grow up as I had dreamed.
“I entrust you with my dear son Salah, whom I had wished to support and accompany through life until he grew strong enough to carry my burden and continue the mission. I entrust you with my beloved mother, whose blessed prayers brought me to where I am, whose supplications were my fortress and whose light guided my path. I pray that Allah grants her strength and rewards her on my behalf with the best of rewards.
“I also entrust you with my lifelong companion, my beloved wife, Umm Salah (Bayan), from whom the war separated me for many long days and months. Yet she remained faithful to our bond, steadfast as the trunk of an olive tree that does not bend—patient, trusting in Allah, and carrying the responsibility in my absence with all her strength and faith.
“I urge you to stand by them, to be their support after Allah Almighty. If I die, I die steadfast upon my principles. I testify before Allah that I am content with His decree, certain of meeting Him, and assured that what is with Allah is better and everlasting.
“O Allah, accept me among the martyrs, forgive my past and future sins, and make my blood a light that illuminates the path of freedom for my people and my family. Forgive me if I have fallen short, and pray for me with mercy, for I kept my promise and never changed or betrayed it.
“Do not forget Gaza… And do not forget me in your sincere prayers for forgiveness and acceptance.
Anas Jamal Al-Sharif 06.04.2025”