PBS News Hour

AMNA NAWAZ: Palestinians in Gaza today buried five staffers from the Arab network Al-Jazeera targeted by Israel last night outside a hospital and also reported some of the heaviest Israeli bombardment in weeks.

Health authorities reported at least 34 people killed after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin continue to defend his plan to occupy Gaza's largest city and an area that Israel has defined as a humanitarian zone for displaced Gazans.

Nick Schifrin reports.

NICK SCHIFRIN: In Gaza today, the story so often is death.

And now death stalks those who tell the story.

For a moment today, the storytellers fell silent for Al-Jazeera's Anas Al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, mourned with the bulletproof vests that failed to protect.

There is a fierce pride and brotherhood among Gaza's journalists.

And, today, they prayed over the body of a man they considered a mentor who shared their story.

Al-Sharif was a well-known correspondent who began reporting for Al-Jazeera after the war began.

He, like everyone in Gaza, was suffering from a lack of food and, while describing a woman who collapsed from hunger, broke down during a live broadcast.

A missile fired by an Israeli drone killed him and four other journalists last night in the tent where they were living outside Shifa Hospital.

Journalist Mohammed Qeita was 20 feet away and was injured in his lower back.

MOHAMMED QEITA, Journalist (through translator): We did not only lose our colleague Sharif.

We lost the voice of journalism, the journalistic icon for everyone, for all Palestinians.

Sharif was the voice of all of us.

NICK SCHIFRIN: But Israel argued Sharif and other members of Al-Jazeera were also members of Hamas' military wing and released what it described as translated Hamas' salary documents and personnel tables as proof.

Al-Jazeera called them fabricated, part of a campaign by Israel against Palestinian journalists in Gaza.

Sara Qudah is the Committee to Protect Journalists Middle East regional director.

SARA QUDAH, Middle East and North Africa Regional Director, Committee to Protect Journalists: For us, what happened is plain and simple.

It's a murder.

They targeted Anas and his colleagues and they killed them.

They did threaten them before they targeted and killed them.

And, for us, this is a war crime.

NICK SCHIFRIN: CPJ says 192 journalists have been killed since the October 7 terrorist attacks, making this war the deadliest for journalists in history.

SARA QUDAH: The Palestinian journalists in Gaza are the only witnesses and the only journalists on the ground who are able to report on what is happening.

There is no international media access inside Gaza to investigate, document, to report to the entire world what is happening.

So, by killing them, Israel is sending a very clear message that they want to hide the truth and they want to silence those witnesses.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, Israeli Prime Minister: Gaza will be demilitarized.

Israel will have overriding security responsibility.

NICK SCHIFRIN: This weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his plan for the Israeli military to occupy Gaza City and the Mawasi tent camp, which Israel has described as a humanitarian zone.

WOMAN: We need a deal, a deal to end this war.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Netanyahu pushed that plan over the objections of Israeli hostage families and what former military officials described to "PBS News Hour" as resistance from Israel's chief for the general staff, who today said he planned -- quote -- "operational control of Gaza City," but only after a pause to allow troops a needed break.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: Given Hamas' refusal to lay down its arms, Israel has no choice but to finish the job and complete the defeat of Hamas.

NICK SCHIFRIN: The U.S. and Israeli officials also tell "PBS News Hour," while the IDF prepares for possible occupation, Israel and Hamas will restart cease-fire negotiations.

Until then, the war takes its daily deadly toll, including on the smallest victims, a boy named Majid.

And, today, Ahmed Tota (ph) cried over his daughter's body, filmed by a journalist who is sharing and living the reality of the war.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Nick Schifrin.