Logline:
AJ360 presents an unflinching 44-minute documentary featuring firsthand eyewitness accounts from survivors of the Israeli siege on Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital. This exclusive film delves into the harrowing 14-day siege that occurred from March 18 to early April 2024, documenting the grave crimes committed within the Al-Shifa Medical Complex. Survivors recount their experiences of killings, destruction, torture, starvation, and arrests, providing a raw, uncensored look into the conditions during the invasion. The film was shot with one camera, and there was even a cut in the lens by a dedicated team in Gaza.
Synopsis:
From the moment the Israeli occupation forces withdrew from Al-Shifa Hospital, Al Jazeera 360 swiftly documented the atrocities that occurred. Exclusive testimonies from nurses and residents who endured a harrowing 14-day siege revealed brutal killings, torture, and starvation. The occupation forced nurses to bury martyrs in mass graves within the hospital grounds, only for the Israeli forces to desecrate the graves with bulldozers, crushing bodies in the hospital and those scattered around the area. This film provides vital evidence for human rights organizations demanding justice.
Al Jazeera Originals team highlights this film as a critical episode in their series documenting occupation crimes, capturing the Israeli army's actions during its invasive operation at the hospital. This documentary serves as a vital record, informing the world of the atrocities committed, based on testimonies recorded by those who endured the siege amidst ongoing bombardment.
The film, translated into English, French, Turkish, Portuguese, German Spanish, has captured international attention and has been proposed for inclusion among the evidentiary documents at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Given the frequent content blocking of Al Jazeera Network on social media platforms, AJ360 aims to overcome these barriers with its own independent streaming application, ensuring that this film is available uncensored, reflecting Al Jazeera’s commitment to providing unrestricted Arabic content.
"Al-Shifa Hospital: The Crimes They Tried to Bury" is the first documentary to extensively cover the occupation crimes at this pivotal medical complex in Gaza. Produced by the originals team and an executing production partner, the film was completed swiftly amid an ongoing conflict that has lasted over half a year. This project emerges in the face of a narrative war waged by the occupying army, which seeks to justify its actions to global public opinion through misleading claims.
Director - Obada Al-Baghdadi
I am a documentary and drama film producer and director. I graduated from the Faculty of Media at Al-Azhar University in 2010
In 2019, I completed my Master’s degree in Cinema, Radio, and Television from Istanbul University.
Since 2010, I have produced and directed over 50 documentary, investigative, and dramatic films. My work is driven by a passion for storytelling and uncovering the truths that shape our world.