Palestinian surgeon featured in American Doctor documentary killed in Israeli airstrikes

In a statement, American Doctor‘s distributor, Watermelon Pictures, “unequivocally condemns this attack and the continued pattern of violence against Gaza’s healthcare workers, patients and medical facilities. Hospitals must never be treated as battlefields, and medical professionals must be able to carry out their lifesaving work without fear of being killed. International humanitarian law provides special protections for hospitals, medical personnel and patients.” 

The film’s director, Poh Si Teng, joined Watermelon in condemning the attack. “Dr. Abu Shaaira was among the extraordinary medical professionals whose courage and humanity we sought to honor through American Doctor,” Teng said in a statement. “His death is devastating and a painful reminder that the crisis documented in our film continues. Those who dedicate their lives to saving others deserve protection, not violence.” 

Another recent documentary about Israel’s war on Gaza, NAZA, details the normalization of collateral damage in these airstrikes and the Israel Defense Forces’ willingness to kill civilians if it means taking out a Hamas member. In 2024, NAZA‘s directors found themselves in a similar situation to American Doctor‘s when their Oscar-winning co-director of their previous documentary, No Other Land Hamdan Ballal was attacked by Israeli settlers and detained by the IDF, prompting condemnation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The following year, a consultant on the film named Awdah Hathaleen was killed by an Israeli settler.