Middle East Eye documentary 'Soaked in Blood' wins Webby award
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Faisal Edroos
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Tue, 04/21/2026 - 14:50
Investigative film revealed that Israeli forces killed a starving Palestinian who was walking along a route declared safe by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation
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Middle East Eye's documentary Soaked in Blood: The Killing of Ameen Sameer Khalifa has won the People's Voice Award in the documentary, video and film category at this year's Webbys.
The film beat several other entries to secure the award, driven by strong public support, and will be honoured at a ceremony later this year.
The documentary, which was released in October, days after a ceasefire went into effect in Gaza, reconstructed the moments leading up to Khalifa's killing and exposed how Palestinians were guided into active firing zones.
Using videos filmed at a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution site, along with satellite imagery, eyewitness testimony and forensic audio analysis, MEE was able to uncover that the 30-year-old was shot dead on 3 June 2025 near the GHF aid distribution site in Rafah.
Khalifa, a primary caregiver for his family, had filmed an incident days earlier where he was shot at by Israeli forces whilst trying to access aid.
On 1 June, he filmed crowds gathering before dawn near the Al-Alam roundabout, near one of the four aid distribution points that had been established by the GHF.
His footage showed civilians dropping to the ground as dozens of gunshots rang out.
"We're dying for a piece of bread," he said in the recording. "Hunger is merciless," his cousin Khalid replied.
Both Khalifa and his cousin Khalid survived that day.
Two days later, however, Khalifa walked the same route.
This time, instead of retrieving a box of flour, oil and a packet of lentils, his body was riddled with bullets, as scores of Palestinians around him screamed for help and cowered for safety.
His mother, Fadwa, told MEE that she had begged him not to go.
"He showered, put on perfume. I felt something," she said.
Minutes later, she says that she saw messages reporting gunfire at the distribution point. Later, she received a call from someone using his phone. "Your son, may God have mercy on him [is dead]."
Between late May and 10 October, when a ceasefire took hold in Gaza, at least 2,615 Palestinians were killed and at least 19,182 injured whilst trying to get aid at GHF sites.
According to multiple reports, many were purposely shot by Israeli soldiers or US security contractors hired by the GHF, usually following direct orders from their superiors.
In several cases, the GHF denied anyone was killed at their sites and said UN figures were "false and misleading".
'A film of our time'
Soaked in Blood was produced by a team that included cameraman Mohamed Salama, who was killed in an Israeli attack before the film was released.
He was killed on 25 August alongside another MEE journalist, Ahmed Abu Aziz, in a double-tap strike on the Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip.
'The cameramen who did much of the filming, Mohammad Salama, was himself to die in a double tap shelling at Nasser Hospital'
- David Hearst, Middle East Eye editor in chief
Reflecting on the win, MEE said the award reflects both the strength of the documentary and the impact of independent journalism in bringing underreported stories to a wider audience.
"Soaked in Blood is a film of our time," said David Hearst, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of MEE.
"The cameramen who did much of the filming, Mohammad Salama, was himself to die in a double tap shelling at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza. Soaked in Blood earns its name".
Established in 1996, The Webby Awards are considered one of the most prestigious awards in the digital media industry, with jury prizes conferred by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences.
The awards saw hundreds of thousands of votes cast globally, recognising the best in online film, video, and digital content.
Other news organisations, including CBS News, Rudaw and Variety also won Webby awards for their news and documentary content.
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