Brazilian media outlets join global outcry over killing of Al-Sharif and colleagues

A targeted airstrike in front of Al-Shifa Hospital has left six Al Jazeera journalists killed, sparking international outrage and renewed demands for accountability. Among the victims was Anas Al-Sharif, a prominent Palestinian correspondent known for his frontline reporting under fire. The attack, widely condemned by press freedom groups and media outlets around the world, has prompted a forceful response from the Brazilian journalistic community, which mourns the loss and denounces what it describes as a deliberate assault on the free press.

In a series of statements and tributes, Brazilian journalist associations and media professionals have joined calls for justice, describing the strike as a war crime and a brutal reminder of the dangers faced by reporters covering armed conflict. As details of the deadly bombing emerge, the killing of Al-Sharif and his colleagues have become a rallying point for those demanding stronger protections for journalists and accountability for those who target them.

The Brazilian Press Association (ABI) released an official statement condemning the attack. “The killing of Anas Al-Sharif and his colleagues is an affront to press freedom and the public’s right to information. Journalism must not be silenced by violence. It is the duty of international authorities to ensure the safety of journalists in conflict zones,” the statement read.

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“This was not just an attack on journalists, it was an attack on the right of all people to know the truth,” said ABI president Octávio Costa. “We urge the international community to conduct an immediate and transparent investigation.”

FENAJ condena assassinato de jornalistas da Al Jazeera em Gaza https://t.co/HU0K4LtXeY via @FENAJ

— FENAJ (@FENAJoficial) August 11, 2025

The Brazil´s National Federation of Journalists (FENAJ) has condemned what it calls a “deliberate and targeted attack” by Israeli forces that killed six Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza on the night of 10 August. The journalists, including correspondent Anas al-Sharif, were sheltering in a tent outside Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City when the strike occurred.

“This was not an accident. It was a direct attack on press professionals clearly identified as journalists,” said FENAJ in an official statement. “We condemn this act in the strongest possible terms. It constitutes a war crime and a grave violation of international humanitarian law.”

FENAJ expressed solidarity with the victims’ families and colleagues, as well as with all journalists working under extreme risk in Gaza. “We stand with the families, with the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS), and with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in demanding that those responsible be held accountable,” the organisation said.

In addition, FENAJ denounced what it described as “a systematic smear campaign by Israeli authorities against Palestinian journalists.” According to the Federation, these efforts to delegitimize Palestinian media professionals “create an environment conducive to violence and blatantly violate press freedom.”

The statement concluded with a renewed call for global action: “We reiterate our appeal for United Nations member states to adopt a binding international convention for the protection and safety of journalists,” FENAJ urged. “Crimes against media professionals must be prosecuted at the International Criminal Court.”

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The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has renewed its call for independent investigations into the deaths of journalists in Gaza, including those killed in the recent airstrike near Al-Shifa Hospital. The organisation criticised the parties involved for what it described as “gross negligence” and, in some cases, the “deliberate targeting of the press.” In an official statement, CPJ emphasized the urgent need for transparent and impartial inquiries to ensure accountability and to uphold the safety of journalists in conflict zones.

“The killing of Anas Al-Sharif appears to be part of a disturbing pattern of disregard for journalists’ lives in Gaza,” said CPJ program director Carlos Martínez de la Serna. “This cannot become the new normal”.

Saiba quem foi Anas al-Sharif, mártir da liberdade de expressão, assassinado por Israel https://t.co/D6EVbsQTs1

— Brasil 247 (@brasil247) August 10, 2025

Across Brazilian newsrooms, the atmosphere is one of collective grief and outrage. Prominent media outlets such as Folha de S.Paulo, O Globo, and Estadão, along with independent journalism platforms like Agência Pública and Brasil de Fato, published tributes honoring Anas Al-Sharif and his colleagues, underscoring the courage it takes to report from one of the most lethal regions for media professionals.

“Anas Al-Sharif represented the very essence of journalism: witnessing, documenting, and refusing to look away,” wrote Folha de S.Paulo. In a powerful editorial, O Globo emphasised that “targeting journalists is not only a violation of human rights, but a direct assault on the public’s right to know.” Several platforms also highlighted Al-Sharif’s final reports from Gaza, shared widely on social media, as haunting reminders of the daily dangers faced by local journalists.

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“Journalists like Anas show us the cost of truth in blood,” wrote Agência Pública in a statement. “His death is not just a tragedy — it is a warning”.  Veteran journalist Eliane Brum expressed her frustration in a column published in El País Brasil, “Every time a journalist is silenced by violence, the world loses a piece of its conscience. Anas was not just documenting war — he was documenting lives that would otherwise be erased.”

En su mensaje final, el periodista palestino Anas Al-Sharif, asesinado junto a otros colegas en un ataque aéreo israelí cerca del Hospital Al-Shifa, pidió al mundo que no olvide el pedazo de tierra por el que murió: “No olviden a Gaza”https://t.co/Q0c1q6srqU

— teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) August 12, 2025

The Brazilian government has added its voice to the growing international condemnation of the deadly Israeli airstrike that killed six Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza. In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the attack was condemned as a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and press freedom,” noting that over 240 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the genocide began.

The government urged Israel to guarantee the safety of journalists and lift restrictions on international media access. The official response echoes the broader reaction from Brazil’s press community, which sees the strike as part of a systematic effort to silence independent reporting.

URGENTE: “israel” acaba de assassinar o jornalista palestino Anas al-Sharif em bombardeio contra a tenda dos jornalistas no hospital al-Shifa, Gaza.

Anas al-Sharif era umas principais vozes do Holocausto Palestino em Gaza. pic.twitter.com/OCG7CNJz7K

— FEPAL – Federação Árabe Palestina do Brasil (@FepalB) August 10, 2025

The shock over the assassination of Palestinian journalist Anas Al-Sharif and his colleagues has not only reverberated through Brazilian newsrooms but also spilled onto the streets. In Brazil and across Latin America, the assassination has ignited a wave of grief and condemnation.

While major Brazilian outlets and journalist unions have denounced the attack as a war crime, civil society has also mobilized. Demonstrations in cities like São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Porto Alegre have brought together activists, students, and pro-Palestinian groups demanding justice and accountability. Organisations such as FEPAL, BDS Brasil, and the Popular Front have publicly condemned the incident, calling it part of a broader pattern of violence against the press. “It’s not just about journalists, it’s about silencing voices that report on the suffering of civilians,” said a BDS Brasil representative during a vigil held outside the Israeli consulate.

This groundswell of outrage reflects a longstanding Latin American solidarity with the Palestinian cause, but also growing fears about the erosion of press freedom globally. As the death toll of journalists in Gaza rises, the Brazilian public, not just the press, is demanding action.

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