In its statement, the IDF accused al-Sharif of posing as a journalist, and being “responsible for advancing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops”.<\/p>\n
It said it had previously “disclosed intelligence” confirming his military affiliation, which included “lists of terrorist training courses”.<\/p>\n
Last month, the Al Jazeera Media Network – along with the United Nations, external<\/a> and the Committee to Protect Journalists, external<\/a> (CPJ) – issued separate statements warning that al-Sharif’s life was in danger, and calling for his protection.<\/p>\n Jodie Ginsberg, chief executive of the CPJ, told the BBC that Israeli authorities have failed to provide evidence to show that the journalists they killed were terrorists.<\/p>\n “This is a pattern we’ve seen from Israel – not just in the current war, but in the decades preceding – in which typically a journalist will be killed by Israeli forces and then Israel will say after the fact that they are a terrorist, but provides very little evidence to back up those claims,” she said.<\/p>\n This is not the first time the IDF has targeted and killed Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza, who they claimed were Hamas-affiliated. <\/p>\n