An Israeli airstrike in Gaza City has killed a prominent Al Jazeera journalist, Anas Al Sharif, and at least four of his colleagues, raising the journalists death toll in the conflict to record levels.

The attack, which occurred yesterday, targeted a tent near Al Shifa Hospital where the journalists were working.

According to Al Jazeera and Gaza officials, the strike killed Al Sharif, 28, along with Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal, and an assistant.

Medics at the hospital later confirmed a sixth journalist, local freelance reporter Mohammad Al-Khaldi, was also killed, along with two other individuals.

In a statement, the Israeli military claimed responsibility for the strike, asserting that Al Sharif was not a journalist but the head of a Hamas militant cell responsible for rocket attacks on Israel.

The military said its allegations were based on intelligence and documents found in Gaza, which have not been made public.

Al Jazeera, which is funded by the Qatari government, vehemently rejected Israel’s claims, calling the attack a desperate attempt to silence voices in anticipation of the occupation of Gaza.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) noted that at least 186 journalists have been killed in the Gaza conflict, while the Hamas-run Gaza government media office puts the number at 238.

Al Jazeera posted a social media message from Al Sharif, written to be shared in the event of his death, in which he stated.

“I never hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or misrepresentation.” It reads.