World Press Freedom Canada deplores the Israeli Defence Force’s killing of five Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza on Aug. 10. The Arab network reported that its staff were killed in a drone attack on their tent while covering the humanitarian crisis near al-Shifa Hospital. The Israeli government has claimed the strike was aimed at Anas al-Sharif, whom it alleges was a Hamas fighter — an accusation repeatedly denied by al-Sharif and Al Jazeera. The U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists has previously condemned what it described as a smear campaign against al-Sharif.

The deliberate targeting of journalists strikes at the heart of press freedom. Independent media serve as the eyes and ears of the global public, particularly in war zones where propaganda and misinformation flourish. When reporters are silenced—whether through violence, intimidation, or false allegations—societies are deprived of credible accounts of events on the ground. Such actions are not only morally indefensible, they are in direct contravention of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2222 (2015), which reaffirms that journalists operating in conflict are civilians who must be protected under international humanitarian law.