Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Considered “the voice of Gaza,” Anas Al-Sharif was one of Al Jazeera’s most recognizable faces working on the ground in Gaza, providing daily reports on the now 22-month-old conflict. Al Jazeera called the attack “a desperate attempt to silence voices exposing Israel’s occupation.”

The Egyptian Journalists Syndicate has condemned what it called a “heinous crime” by Israeli forces, describing it as part of a wider “media genocide” targeting reporters in the enclave.

Israel's military said it targeted Sharif because he had "served as the head of a terrorist cell in Hamas". Israel has barred international journalists from entering Gaza, except for closely controlled trips with the military.

The Gaza government media office said 238 journalists have been killed in almost two years of fighting.