Scottish singer Annie Lennox, an Oscar-winning artist and advocate for peace, has condemned the killing of Palestinian journalist Anas al-Sharif—calling it a symbol of “insatiable cruelty” carried out with absolute impunity while the world remains silent.
“How Is This Even Possible?”
Responding to the assassination of Anas al-Sharif by the Israeli regime, Annie Lennox expressed her disbelief and outrage:
“My God… How is this even POSSIBLE!!!!!????The appetite for cruelty and barbarism is insatiable!!!They are doing this with absolute impunity… and the world sees it!!!”
Who Was Anas al-Sharif?
Anas al-Sharif, a 28-year-old journalist with Al Jazeera, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on August 10, 2025, targeting a media tent outside al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The strike also claimed the lives of four colleagues and two others, including his nephew.
His final post, shared on X, read: “If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice”.
International Outrage and Context
- The killings sparked widespread condemnation from organizations such as Al Jazeera, the UN, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Reporters Without Borders. Al Jazeera called it a “blatant and premeditated” attack on press freedom.
- Israel’s claims that al-Sharif led a Hamas cell were based on unverified or outdated documents and rejected by press-freedom advocates as smear campaigns to justify targeting journalists.
- The attack is part of a broader pattern; over 180 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the conflict began, marking this as one of the deadliest conflicts for media workers.
- Press freedom advocates have called for independent investigations, and human rights groups condemned both the impunity and the portrayal of journalists as militants to rationalize the strikes.
Organized Peace Advocacy
Annie Lennox has been a vocal figure in the Artists4Ceasefire movement—an open-letter campaign signed by hundreds of artists, including her, urging for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and Israel.
Final Word
Annie Lennox’s emotionally charged statement underscores the peril faced by journalists in Gaza—and the urgent need for global accountability. Her voice, echoing the final words of Anas al-Sharif, is a plea not just for justice, but for humanity in a conflict that leaves too many silenced.