Archive · 2 Sep 2026
American Doctors Describe Gaza Experiences in Documentary Interview
American Doctor is a film about three American doctors who treated injured people in Gaza.
The doctors came from Jewish, Palestinian American, and Pakistani Zoroastrian backgrounds.
They said they saw severe injuries and many children killed.
Dr. Mark Perlmutter called what he witnessed the worst killing of children he had ever seen.
The doctors blamed Israel for what they described as genocide in Gaza.
Israel’s military announced an investigation into the death of five-year-old Hind Rajab.
Dr. Thaer Ahmad also said he was not allowed to return to Gaza to continue treating patients.
The director and doctors discussed the film at a live event in Los Angeles.
The documentary American Doctor follows three U.S. physicians who treated injured Palestinians in Gaza.
Dr. Mark Perlmutter described the deaths of Palestinian children as the worst pediatric homicide he had witnessed.
The doctors accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Director Poh Si Teng said at least 1,700 health care workers have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, citing Palestinian statistics.
Dr. Thaer Ahmad discussed Hind Rajab’s death and Israel’s refusal to allow him to return to Gaza for medical work.
- Who
- Director Poh Si Teng and physicians Mark Perlmutter, Thaer Ahmad, and Feroze Sidhwa.
- What
- They discussed the documentary American Doctor and the doctors’ experiences treating injured Palestinians in Gaza.
- When
- The doctors’ experiences followed the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack; the discussion was recorded during the Friend of the Fest 2026 festival.
- Where
- The medical work took place in Gaza, and the discussion occurred at the Los Feliz 3 theaters in Los Angeles.
- Why
- The documentary examines why the physicians volunteered to treat Palestinian children despite the danger, and it presents their condemnation of Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
- Documentary
- American Doctor
- Director
- Poh Si Teng
- Featured physicians
- Mark Perlmutter, Thaer Ahmad, and Feroze Sidhwa
- Conflict reference
- The doctors’ accounts followed Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
- Health worker deaths
- At least 1,700 health care workers have reportedly been killed in Gaza since October 2023, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
- Hind Rajab investigation
- The Israel Defense Forces announced a criminal investigation into the killing of five-year-old Hind Rajab.
- Event
- The interview was recorded for Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast at the American Cinematheque’s Friend of the Fest 2026 festival.