Watermelon Pictures Condemns Death Of American Doctor Surgeon In Gaza

Key Points:

• Palestinian surgeon Dr. Rizk Abu Shaaira, featured in the documentary American Doctor, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, Gaza, while fellow surgeon Dr. Mohammed Odainy was critically injured.
• Watermelon Pictures, the North American distributor of the film, condemned the attack, highlighting the ongoing violence against Gaza’s medical community and calling for accountability and an end to the destruction of healthcare facilities.
• The documentary American Doctor follows three American physicians who provided medical care in Gaza and witnessed the humanitarian crisis, with one surgeon describing the deep personal loss of his colleagues in the strike.
• Director Poh Si Teng expressed distress over Dr. Abu Shaaira’s death, emphasizing the need to protect medical professionals who risk their lives to save others amid the ongoing conflict.
• Since the Israeli military campaign began in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, around 75,000 people have been killed and 176,000 injured, with massive displacement leaving 65% of Gaza’s population living in tents or makeshift shelters.