Press Statement by the Documentary Filmmakers Association of South Africa (DFA)On the Killing of Palestinian Journalists
The Documentary Filmmakers Association of South Africa (DFA) strongly condemns the killing of – five Palestinian journalists including the well-regarded and much loved Aljazeera correspondent, Anas al-Sharif. Anas and four of his colleagues were targeted by a devastating Israeli air strike whilst in a tent for media workers outside the al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on August 10th. An immeasurable loss to the people of Gaza.
This attack follows last week’s ruthless killing of activist Awdah Hathaleen by an Israeli settler in the occupied West Bank.
Hathaleen, who was a key protagonist in the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, was shot dead during an attack by Israeli settlers in the village of Umm al-Khair in the South Hebron Hills on 29 July 2025.
We are once again shocked by the loss of a courageous community builder whose work exposed the brutal realities of apartheid and occupation in Palestine. His murder is part of a broader pattern of violence and silencing of Palestinians who dare to tell the truth. According to The Guardian and multiple human rights sources, Hathaleen was unarmed and actively documenting the Israeli military’s actions when he was fatally shot—yet another example of the targeting of storytellers in zones of conflict. In March, Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian co-director of the same film was arrested by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank after he was beaten and injured by Israeli settlers.
As filmmakers, we believe in the power of cinema to reveal injustice and inspire change. Awdah Hathaleen’s voice was one of resistance, dignity, and liberation. We honour his legacy and mourn the silencing of a vital perspective.
With the ongoing targeting by the IDF of media professionals and the killing of over 200 journalists since October 2023 , we reiterate our call for an immediate end to the genocide in Gaza and for Israel to be held accountable for its continued violations of international law. In line with South Africa’s proud anti-apartheid history and the ongoing case tabled against Israel at the International Court of Justice – we join the call for President Cyril Ramaphosa to immediately shut down the Israeli Embassy in Pretoria as a concrete step toward ending diplomatic support for a regime that continues to commit atrocities with impunity. Cutting off diplomatic ties with Israel has already been approved by the Parliament of South Africa. Our elected representatives in Parliament voted on Tuesday 21 November, 2023, by 248 to 91 to close the Israeli Embassy in Pretoria and suspend diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv. But there has been no action from the Executive.
The normalisation of the violence of the occupation and loss of so many lives cannot continue unchecked and with impunity ; we all have a moral obligation to safeguard our common humanity and protect those that capture our stories for the world.
We urge all film, media, and cultural institutions to take a stand : to divest from Israeli partnerships, to uplift Palestinian voices, and to ensure that those who risk their lives to tell the truth are never forgotten.
Documentary Filmmakers Association of South Africa (DFA)
www.docfilmsa.com | info@docfilmsa.com
Endorsed by: Palestine Solidarity Alliance South Africa (PSA)