On August 10, 2025, an Israeli missile struck a media tent outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, killing six journalists and photojournalists who were mostly Al Jazeera staff. The six dead included Anas al-Sharif, Mohammed Qreiqa, Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Nofal, Moamen Aliwa, and Mohammed al-Khalidi. The attack is part of an ongoing campaign that has killed over 240 journalists since October 2023, making it the deadliest period ever for the press. Survivors such as Ayman al-Hessi, Mohammed Qita, and Mohammed al-Sharif narrowly escaped and now face wrenching choices between aiding colleagues, grieving, and continuing to document events.
For them, the blast shattered the fragile boundary between grief and duty. Their stories speak to the unbearable decisions they're forced to make: rush to aid fallen friends or stay behind the lens; break down; or press on. I spoke to al-Hassi, Qita, and Mohammed al-Sharif about their horrific experiences of the attack and how they are coping in its aftermath.
These are the words of Ayman al-Hessi, 32, a photojournalist who narrowly avoided death that night. Just half an hour before the missile struck, he had gone home to play with his daughter. As he drove back toward al-Shifa, the sound of an explosion froze him. His phone rang: colleagues told him that the journalists' tent had been struck. He sped toward the hospital, crashing his car into a wall in panic, before reaching and seeing the scene.
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