Palestinian surgeon featured in American Doctor documentary killed in Israeli airstrikes

Dr. Rizk Abu Shaaira, a Palestinian surgeon who appeared in the 2026 documentary American Doctor, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on the previous day. Shaaira was one of two surgeons from the film who were present during the attack. The other surgeon, Dr. Mohammed Odainy, sustained critical injuries.

This marked the seventh strike on the complex, which Israel asserts Hamas utilizes for strategic purposes, a claim Hamas disputes. The documentary follows three American physicians who journey to Gaza to provide medical assistance to victims of Israel’s bombardments. According to Reuters, at least six Palestinians, including a 13-year-old boy, lost their lives in the most recent breach of the ceasefire that was signed a year ago.

Watermelon Pictures, the distributor of American Doctor, unequivocally condemned the attack and the persistent pattern of violence against Gaza's healthcare workers, patients, and medical facilities. It emphasized that hospitals must never be treated as battlegrounds, and medical professionals must be able to carry out their life-saving work without fear of being killed.

The attack was condemned by American Doctor's director, Poh Si Teng, and Watermelon Pictures. Teng expressed that Dr. Abu Shaaira was one of the exceptional medical professionals whose courage and humanity were meant to be honored through the film. His death is a devastating reminder that the crisis depicted in the documentary continues. Teng and Watermelon Pictures join others in condemning the attack.