“It has a responsibility to its citizens. These new disclosures reinforce the need for an independent investigation that finally delivers accountability. Without such accountability, Israeli forces will continue to take journalists’ lives — because they know they can do so without consequence.”

"Doing the work of a journalist can never be considered a crime, but it is a right that must be protected."

Ginsberg also has a clear message for Western media covering the war in Gaza if they want to support their Palestinian colleagues on the ground: “Do your fucking job.”

“Ask the questions. And don’t just simply then parrot the answers,” she said.

But rights groups and monitors warn that Israel is intentionally targeting journalists in Gaza—a charge the Israeli government denies—and doing so without repercussions in a manner that sets a dangerous precedent for the entire world.

What happened to Sharif is part of a broader trend. When Israeli forces kill journalists in Gaza, the official response typically fluctuates between leveling unverified allegations of terrorism and chalking it up as unfortunate collateral damage.

Similarly, Ginsberg said she’s “not confident” that those responsible for the deaths of journalists in Gaza will be held accountable, pointing to a 2023 CPJ report that looked at every single case of journalist killings by the Israeli military during the more than 20 years prior.

She added that CPJ is “investigating at least 26 cases where we believe Israel has deliberately targeted journalists as journalists, and that, in itself, is an unprecedented figure.”

More than 190 journalists have been killed since the start of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza ― the deadliest period for journalists since @pressfreedom.bsky.social began tracking such data in 1992.