Middle East – 12 August 2025
In a day of escalating violence in the Gaza Strip, Israeli military attacks on August 11 have resulted in a significant number of casualties, including multiple deaths among civilians and journalists, sparking widespread international condemnation and a renewed focus on the humanitarian crisis gripping the territory. The attacks have been met with calls for an independent investigation from the United Nations, as well as denunciations from media organizations and human rights groups worldwide.
According to reports from local health officials, at least 55 people were killed in Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip on August 11, with additional attacks continuing into the night. One of the most-criticized incidents was a targeted drone strike that killed five journalists working for the Al Jazeera network. The strike hit a tent where reporters were stationed near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, a known hub for journalists seeking to file reports on the conflict. Among the dead were prominent correspondent Anas al-Sharif and his colleagues, whose deaths Al Jazeera has described as a “targeted assassination” aimed at silencing voices from the ground.
The Israeli military has claimed that Anas al-Sharif was a “Hamas military operative” who was using journalism as a cover, a charge that both Al Jazeera and international press freedom groups have vehemently rejected. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) stated that Israel has a “documented pattern” of making such unproven accusations to justify the killing of reporters. The incident has drawn a sharp response from the UN, with Secretary-General António Guterres calling for an impartial investigation into the killings and stressing the need to protect journalists.
Beyond the attacks on journalists, health officials also reported at least 15 people were killed while waiting for humanitarian aid at the Zikim crossing in northern Gaza. Witnesses reported that Israeli forces fired directly into the crowds of people seeking food and supplies. This attack adds to a grim statistic from the UN, which states that nearly 1,400 people have been killed while seeking food since late May 2025, with attacks on aid sites becoming increasingly common.
The violence on August 11 unfolded against a backdrop of diplomatic deadlock and an intensifying Israeli military strategy. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended a new, more expansive military offensive in Gaza, arguing that Israel “has no choice but to finish the job and complete the defeat of Hamas.” This plan has drawn a strong rebuke from the UN’s top human rights official, Volker Türk, who called for a halt to the military takeover and warned that it would lead to “more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes.” These developments underscore the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where UN agencies report that 90% of the population has been displaced and malnutrition-related deaths are rising.
