Director Muhammad Abu Salmiya and several other medical personnel detained as Israel continues its Gaza offensive.
The Israeli army has detained the director of al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical complex in the Gaza Strip, as reported by a doctor and media.
Muhammad Abu Salmiya, along with several “senior doctors,” was apprehended, stated Khalid Abu Samra, a department chief at the hospital, to the AFP news agency.
Meanwhile, a report by the Israeli Broadcasting Authority and a post on the social media platform by Salmiya’s cousin, Adham Abu Selmiya confirmed the arrest.
Gaza’s ministry of health seeks an explanation from the World Health Organization as Israeli forces stopped a WHO convoy with medics and patients.
Gaza’s health ministry spokesperson, Ashraf al-Qudra, expressed concern over the lack of updates from the WHO and impending danger to the detainees.
The health ministry has suspended coordination with the WHO regarding evacuations until they receive a report explaining the incident.
Hamas released a statement condemning the arrests and urged the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international organizations to secure their immediate release. Earlier, Israel had detained two Palestinian paramedics.
The arrests signal the lack of immunity for various classes in Palestine, including medical workers and journalists, as emphasized by Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum.
Al-Shifa Hospital has been a focal point of Israel’s ground offensive in northern Gaza. The Israeli army had ordered an evacuation, alleging the use of the hospital complex by Hamas fighters, a claim the hospital officials and Hamas have refuted.
Indonesian Hospital
On the same day, the director-general of Gaza’s Health Ministry revealed the Israeli army gave a short notice to evacuate the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, leaving approximately 200 patients behind amidst continuous bombings.
Both al-Shifa and the Indonesian hospital are facing dire conditions under Israeli control as casualties and displaced persons remain inside.
Additionally, the UN’s humanitarian office reported a delay due to Israeli obstruction, affecting the transfer of wounded and sick patients from al-Shifa Hospital, placing their lives at risk.
