CAIRO/JERUSALEM — A prominent Al Jazeera journalist who had previously been threatened by Israel was killed along with four colleagues in an Israeli airstrike on Sunday, in an attack condemned by journalist and rights groups.

Israel’s military said it targeted and killed Anas Al Sharif, alleging he had headed a Hamas cell and was involved in rocket attacks against Israel.

Al Jazeera rejected the claim and before his death Mr. Al Sharif had also rejected earlier claims by Israel that he was connected to Hamas.

Mr. Al Sharif, 28, was among a group of four Al Jazeera journalists and an assistant who died in a strike on a tent near Shifa Hospital in eastern Gaza City, Gaza officials and Al Jazeera said. An official at the hospital said two other people were also killed in the strike.

Calling Mr. Al Sharif “one of Gaza’s bravest journalists,” Al Jazeera said the attack was a “desperate attempt to silence voices in anticipation of the occupation of Gaza.”

The other journalists killed were Mohammed Qreiqeh, Ibrahim Zaher and Mohammed Noufal, Al Jazeera said.

Mr. Al Sharif was previously part of a Reuters team which in 2024 won a Pulitzer Prize in the category of Breaking News Photography for coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.

The Israeli military said in a statement that Mr. Al Sharif was the head of a Hamas cell and “was responsible for advancing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF (Israeli) troops,” citing intelligence and documents found in Gaza as evidence.

Journalists’ groups and Al Jazeera denounced the killings.

A press freedom group and a United Nations (UN) expert previously warned that Mr. Al Sharif’s life was in danger due to his reporting from Gaza. UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan said last month that Israel’s claims against him were unsubstantiated.

Al Jazeera said Mr. Al Sharif had left a social media message to be posted in the event of his death that read, “…I never hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or misrepresentation, hoping that God would witness those who remained silent.”

Last October, Israel’s military had named Mr. Al Sharif as one of six Gaza journalists it alleged were members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, citing documents it said showed lists of people who completed training courses and salaries.

“Al Jazeera categorically rejects the Israeli occupation forces’ portrayal of our journalists as terrorists and denounces their use of fabricated evidence,” the network said in a statement at the time.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which in July urged the international community to protect Mr. Al Sharif, said in a statement that Israel had failed to provide any evidence to back up its allegations against him.

“Israel’s pattern of labeling journalists as militants without providing credible evidence raises serious questions about its intent and respect for press freedom,” said Sara Qudah, CPJ’s director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Mr. Al Sharif, whose X account showed more than 500,000 followers, posted on the platform minutes before his death that Israel had been intensely bombarding Gaza City for more than two hours.

Palestinian militant group Hamas, which runs Gaza, said the killing may signal the start of an Israeli offensive. “The assassination of journalists and the intimidation of those who remain paves the way for a major crime that the occupation is planning to commit in Gaza City,” Hamas said in a statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he would launch a new offensive to dismantle Hamas strongholds in Gaza, where a hunger crisis is escalating after 22 months of war.

“Anas Al Sharif and his colleagues were among the last remaining voices in Gaza conveying the tragic reality to the world,” Al Jazeera said.

The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said 237 journalists have been killed since the war started on Oct. 7, 2023. The CPJ said at least 186 journalists have been killed in the Gaza conflict. — Reuters

SYDNEY — Australia will recognize a Palestinian state at next month’s United Nations (UN) General Assembly, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday, a move that adds to international pressure on Israel after similar announcements from France, Britain and Canada.

“Australia will recognize the State of Palestine at the 80^th Sessions of the United Nations General Assembly in September, to contribute to international momentum towards a two-state solution, a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages,” Mr. Albanese said in a statement.

Mr. Albanese made the announcement after a cabinet meeting, and told reporters in Canberra that recognition would be predicated on commitments Australia received from the Palestinian Authority, including that Islamist militant group Hamas would have no involvement in any future state.

“A two-state solution is humanity’s best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and to bring an end to the conflict, suffering and starvation in Gaza,” Mr. Albanese said at a news conference.

Mr. Albanese said he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday and told him a political solution was needed and not a military one.

Australia last week criticized Israel’s plan to take military control of Gaza, and Mr. Albanese said the decision to recognize a Palestinian state was “further compelled” by Mr. Netanyahu’s disregard of the international community’s calls and failure to comply with legal and ethical obligations in Gaza.

“The Netanyahu Government is extinguishing the prospect of a two-state solution by rapidly expanding illegal settlements, threatening annexation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and explicitly opposing any Palestinian state,” Mr. Albanese said in the joint statement with Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

Commitments by the Palestinian Authority to reform governance, demilitarize and hold general elections, as well as Arab League demands for Hamas to end its rule in Gaza, created an opportunity, he said.

“This is an opportunity to isolate Hamas,” he added.

Ms. Wong said she had informed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio of Australia’s decision.

US President Donald J. Trump last month criticized Canada’s decision to back Palestinian statehood and Mr. Rubio has said the decision by France was reckless.

Israel’s Ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, criticized Australia’s decision on social media platform X as undermining Israel’s security and derailing hostage negotiations.

Last month, Mr. Albanese would not publicly commit to a timeframe for recognition, and has previously been wary of divided public opinion in Australia over Gaza.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched across Sydney’s Harbour Bridge this month calling for aid deliveries in Gaza as the humanitarian crisis worsened.

Mr. Albanese said on Monday “massive concern” over the devastation in Gaza came not just from international leaders but community members.

New Zealand said it would consider its position on recognition of Palestine this month.

Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas-led fighters stormed Israeli towns near the border, killing some 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages on Oct. 7, 2023. Since then, Israeli forces have killed at least 60,000 people in Gaza, health officials there say, and reduced much of the enclave to ruins.

Malnutrition is widespread in the enclave due to what international aid agencies say is a deliberate plan by Israel to restrict aid. Israel rejects that allegation, blaming Hamas for the hunger among Palestinians and saying a lot of aid has been distributed. — Reuters

SEOUL — South Korea and Vietnam pledged deeper economic and strategic cooperation as their leaders held a summit on Monday, with the countries seeking to leverage their business ties to navigate a challenging global trading environment.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is hosting Vietnamese leader To Lam as his first state guest since taking office on June 4 and discussed promoting trade and investment in the Southeast Asian country, Mr. Lee’s office said.

Mr. Lam, who is the Vietnamese Communist Party general secretary, leads a delegation of industry, trade, foreign and technology ministers and senior party and parliament members on the four-day state visit.

“Our countries agreed that about 10,000 Korean companies operating in Vietnam contribute to Vietnam’s economic development and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.” Mr. Lee said in a televised address.

“I asked for a continued interest in the stable economic activities of our companies in Vietnam.”

Mr. Lam said the countries agreed to further open up their markets and expand trade to $150 billion by 2030, adding Vietnam welcomed an increase in investment by South Korean businesses along with greater technological cooperation.

The countries are due to sign at least 10 memoranda of understanding at the summit meeting, pledging cooperation in areas including nuclear and renewable energy, monetary and financial policies, and science and technology, Mr. Lee’s office said.

Other agreements covered cooperation in infrastructure, including high-speed rail, Mr. Lee’s office said.

The rare visit by the Vietnamese leader is expected to contribute to a favorable condition for South Korean businesses to invest in major infrastructure and nuclear energy projects planned in Vietnam, it said.

A number of major South Korean companies including Samsung Electronics have used Vietnam as an export hub, benefiting for years from lower labor costs, generous tax incentives and Hanoi’s numerous free trade pacts with dozens of countries.

But the trade policy of US President Donald J. Trump, who imposed sweeping new tariffs on the Asian countries in recent weeks, has increased uncertainty over future business commitments, with Vietnamese official data showing a slowdown in new investment.

South Korean companies have been cited as potential investors in Vietnam’s planned nuclear energy, liquefied natural gas power plants and high-speed rail projects.

Mr. Trump has imposed a tariff rate of 15% for South Korean goods and 20% for imports from Vietnam. — Reuters