Documentary – How Israel Destroyed Al Shifa Hospital?

CrossFireArabia
Culture
August 25, 2024

A documentary recounting Israel’s harrowing siege on Gaza’s largest health complex, Al-Shifa Hospital, killing some 170 Palestinians, premiered on Saturday in Istanbul.

Co-produced by Al Jazeera 360 and the On the Record for Humanity initiative, the premiere of Al-Shifa Hospital – 14 Days of Horror was held at the Lutfi Kirdar International Convention and Exhibition Center, with Anadolu as the global communications partner.

A Palestinian doctor highlights the aftermath of Israeli occupation at Al-Shifa Hospital.
It was also reported that more than 400 were killed including children, women, medical staff and patients. pic.twitter.com/N6bwkfNGwG
— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) April 1, 2024

The premiere, attended by Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc, Anadolu Agency Editor-in-Chief Yusuf Ozhan, Anadolu Publications and Productions Coordinator Oguz Karakas, and other important media figures, began with an exhibit of photographs taken by Anadolu photojournalists who have been documenting the genocide in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023.

‘Palestine has won this war psychologically’

At the opening, Ihsan Aktas, one of the founders of On the Record for Humanity, said they founded the initiative to raise global awareness of Palestine following the Israeli attacks that began last year.

He added: “At this point, Palestine has won this war psychologically. Today, the number of Palestinian flags waving around the world tops the number of American and Israeli flags.”

Aktas praised news agencies like Anadolu and Al Jazeera for exposing Israel’s war crimes and highlighted the strong support from the Turkish public and media for the documentary.

He stressed Anadolu’s crucial role in spotlighting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, commending CEO Serdar Karagoz and Tunc for their essential support in amplifying their message.

Reminder to world to hold perpetrators accountable

Producer Samhy Mostafa said: “Al Jazeera 360 is a platform that brings all of Al Jazeera’s programs together under one roof, offering access to Al Jazeera’s vast library.”

What's left of Al-Shifa hospital complex after Zs retreat. Total destruction and hundreds of dead bodies of men, women and children executed pic.twitter.com/dCENwvO9qU
— Dr. Mustafa Elmasri (@Gaza_Psych) April 1, 2024

“It provides serious and positive media content that reflects and presents the truth as it is, continuing to bypass restrictions imposed by some social media platforms,” he added.

He also said: “This documentary exposes the suffering at Al-Shifa Hospital and aims to remind the world of the need to confront injustice and hold perpetrators accountable.”

After opening speeches, the documentary Al-Shifa Hospital – 14 Days of Horror was screened.

The premiere concluded with a panel moderated by journalist Enes Yalman, featuring director Obada Al Baghdadi, Gaza doctor Fadia Malhis, Al Jazeera journalist Ibrahim Saber, Academic Garbage Collection Center Secretary General Bekir Cantemir, and Haberturk TV General Manager Mehmet Akif Ersoy.

Al-Shifa Hospital siege

On the morning of March 18, Israeli forces raided Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, where more than 7,000 patients and displaced Palestinians had taken refuge.

During the raid and subsequent siege, more than 800 Palestinians were detained and interrogated by Israeli forces, and over 170 were killed.

After the Israeli army withdrew, mass graves containing burned human remains were discovered.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

"We give him painkillers so that he doesn't feel it and he (passes) in peace…and then he goes into the tent where we gathered the corpses"

Dr. Basel Abu Amru shares the horrific challenges he and other medical workers faced at Al-Shifa hospital during the Israeli aggression. pic.twitter.com/jkcrLU2aeU
— TIMES OF GAZA (@Timesofgaza) January 3, 2024

The onslaught has resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and over 93,000 injuries, according to local health authorities.

The ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.

CrossFireArabia

Dr. Marwan Asmar holds a PhD from Leeds University and is a freelance writer specializing on the Middle East. He has worked as a journalist since the early 1990s in Jordan and the Gulf countries, and been widely published, including at Albawaba, Gulf News, Al Ghad, World Press Review and others.

Culture

Top Writer Says ‘No’ to Berlinale

CrossFireArabia
February 13, 2026

Top Indian writer Arundhati Roy has pulled out of the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) after criticizing “unconscionable statements” by members of the festival jury, who said that art should not be political when asked about the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

Roy had been scheduled to attend a screening of her 1989 film In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones in the Classics section of Berlinale 2026.

In a strongly worded statement, Roy said the selection of the film had initially filled her with warmth and nostalgia. She noted that she had long felt disturbed by the positions of the German government and several cultural institutions on Palestine. Still, she said she had consistently received solidarity from German audiences when speaking about Gaza, which encouraged her to consider attending the festival.

However, Roy said she changed her decision after hearing comments from members of the Berlinale jury earlier that day.

“Like millions of people across the world, I heard the unconscionable statements made by members of the jury of the Berlin film festival when they were asked to comment about the genocide in Gaza,” Roy wrote.

She described labeling the genocide a political issue then insisting that art should remain separate from politics as “jaw-dropping.” She added that such framing shuts down urgent conversations about a crime against humanity.

Roy stated clearly in her message that she believes events in Gaza amount to genocide against Palestinians by Israel. She further added that the United States and Germany, along with several European governments, support and fund Israel and therefore share responsibility.

“If the greatest film makers and artists of our time cannot stand up and say so, they should know that history will judge them,” she wrote, adding that she felt “shocked and disgusted.”

Roy concluded her statement by confirming that, “with deep regret,” she would not attend the Berlinale.

The controversy emerged after journalists asked Berlinale jury members to comment on the genocide in Gaza and Germany’s support for Israel, which also funds the festival.

Polish producer Ewa Puszczyńska, a member of the jury, refused to answer.

“There are many other wars where genocide is committed, and we do not talk about that,” Puszczyńska said. She described the issue as “complex” and claimed that it was unfair to ask jury members to comment on government policies.

Roy’s withdrawal adds to rising tensions within European cultural spaces over the Israeli genocide in Gaza. Artists, writers, and filmmakers have increasingly debated whether cultural platforms should take political positions. – Quds News Network

Culture

Gaza Radio Station Returns to The Airwaves

CrossFireArabia
February 13, 2026

Broadcaster Rami Al-Sharafi works on a laptop inside the damaged Zaman FM radio station building in Gaza, marking what may seem an unlikely return to the airwaves amid the rubble of the deadly two-year Israel-Hamas war.

While 23 local radio stations were operating in Gaza before the conflict erupted, they were all destroyed and ceased broadcasting, he told UN News.

“Today, we are the only radio station broadcasting on FM from within Gaza after this widespread destruction,” he said. “We hope that other local radio stations will resume broadcasting, thus allowing competition in providing media services to the people of the Gaza Strip.”

Ahead of World Radio Day, observed on 13 February, the resumption of broadcasting comes at a time when Gaza’s media infrastructure still faces significant challenges amid local and international calls to support journalism as part of broader recovery and reconstruction efforts in the sector.

A journalist works at a desk in a damaged office in Gaza, viewed through broken pillars. Another person uses a laptop in the background.

UN News

A journalist works in the damaged office of Zaman 90.60 FM radio station in Gaza City.

Digging through the rubble

After a hiatus of nearly two years due to the war, some local radio stations in the Gaza Strip are transmitting again, in a move showing gradual efforts to revive the media landscape in the war-ravaged Strip – much of which has suffered widespread destruction of infrastructure and civilian institutions from Israeli attacks.

Zaman FM operates in the Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood of Gaza City, where Israeli attacks triggered a famine and left mountains of debris in the streets.

The cracked walls of the station’s building tell a story of immense destruction and the scene inside is unlike any other radio studio in the world.

Employees dig through the rubble to keep the station broadcasting, working with minimal technical resources while behind them, awareness posters warn people of the dangers of dilapidated buildings.

On-air messages of hope

Local radio remains vital in Gaza as humanitarian crises persist, power outages continue and access to other media remains limited. This makes radio one of the most effective ways of getting key messages out to the public, along with health guidance and information about other services.

Gaza is in dire need of professional local radio stations capable of broadcasting awareness messages and guidance bulletins in light of the spread of diseases, the deterioration of the education system and the disruption of many basic services, said Mr. Al-Sharafi, director of the radio station and host of the morning programme, An Hour of Time.

“We need to deliver information to the population and guide them to the services that have stopped and are gradually being resumed,” he said, “especially in light of the difficult health conditions and the spread of epidemics.”

Amid the destruction all around, Mr. Al-Sharafi sits behind his dust-covered microphone and does just that.

He sends morning greetings to Gaza residents and provides them with important information and updates, bringing some much-needed hope to the airwaves across a devastated landscape that has only just begun to recover – UN News

Or check our Popular Categories...

Or check our Popular Categories...

Documentary – How Israel Destroyed Al Shifa Hospital?

CrossFireArabia

Related Posts

Top Writer Says ‘No’ to Berlinale

Gaza Radio Station Returns to The Airwaves

Digging through the rubble

On-air messages of hope

You Missed

IRGC says Iran started its Operation True Promise 26 by launching missiles and drones against Israel

Iran Halts Attacks on Neighboring States Unless…

Iranian govt spokesman: 30% of victims are children; 165 of them killed among 1300 civilians who died by US/Israeli bombing

White House: ‘We destroyed more than 30 Iranian ships and are moving to destroying the navy completely’

White House: ‘We Have 4 to 6 Weeks to End The Military Operations in Iran’

IRGC: Iran Has Not Closed The Hormuz Strait Except to Ships Linked to Israel/USA