American Doctor Distributor Condemns Gaza Hospital Bombing After Rizk Abu Shaaira’s Death

Distributor condemns reported killing

Watermelon Pictures said it was appalled by the reported death of Dr. Rizk Abu Shaaira, a Palestinian surgeon featured in American Doctor. The company is the documentary’s North American distributor.

Co-founder Hamza Ali said the company was horrified and heartbroken. He condemned the attack, called for accountability and urged an end to the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system.

Doctors featured in documentary

Directed by Poh Si Teng, American Doctor premiered at Sundance and follows Dr. Thaer Ahmad, Dr. Mark Perlmutter and Dr. Feroze Sidhwa. The doctors perform surgeries at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis during the war with Israel.

Abu Shaaira and Dr. Mohammed Odainy also worked at the hospital, treating patients amid wartime hardship. Reuters and other news services reported that an Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza killed Abu Shaaira and left Odainy severely injured.

Colleague recalls shared surgeries

Sidhwa, a California trauma surgeon who worked alongside Abu Shaaira, said that operating together in a war zone creates close and lasting bonds. He described a complex operation he and Abu Shaaira performed on a man with shrapnel injuries.

Sidhwa also recalled operating with Odainy on a teenager whose abdominal aorta was pierced by an American-made bomb. The child survived, he said. Sidhwa called the two surgeons his friends, colleagues and an inspiration, and said Abu Shaaira was dead while Odainy was fighting for his life.

Film focuses on operating rooms

In his Sundance review, Hollywood Reporter film critic Jordan Mintzer said the documentary concentrates on the practical realities of surgeons trying to save lives. He noted that some operating-room scenes are difficult to watch, including the treatment of children injured in bombings.