The largest medical complex in the Gaza Strip, al-Shifa Hospital, saw its director, Muhammad Abu Salmiya, and several other senior doctors being arrested by the Israeli army. The news was confirmed by a doctor and media reports, as well as a post on the social media platform X by Salmiya’s cousin, Adham Abu Selmiya. This development has prompted Gaza’s ministry of health to demand an explanation from the World Health Organization. The ministry is concerned about the well-being of those detained.
Hamas also voiced its strong denouncement of the arrests and called for the immediate release of Salmiya and his colleagues. This comes after the Israeli occupation forces had previously arrested two Palestinian paramedics, indicating that there is no immunity for medical workers in the Gaza Strip.
Al-Shifa Hospital has been at the center of Israel’s ground offensive in northern Gaza, with the Israeli army alleging that Hamas fighters used a tunnel complex beneath the facility to stage attacks. However, both Hamas and hospital officials have refuted these claims.
In addition to al-Shifa Hospital, the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza was given just a few hours to evacuate. The hospital’s director-general, Munir al-Bursh, reported that there are approximately 200 patients left at the facility, and bombings continue in the vicinity.
The UN’s humanitarian office also reported that the Israeli army obstructed the evacuation of 190 wounded and sick patients from al-Shifa Hospital to the south, causing a nearly 20-hour delay and putting the lives of the patients in danger. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society expressed concern over the lengthy delay and the treatment of those involved in the evacuation.
The situation in Gaza remains tense, with hospitals and medical workers facing significant challenges due to ongoing military operations in the region.
