The director of Gaza’s largest hospital, who had been detained by Israel for more than seven months without charge, was released on Monday, hailed by Palestinian and human rights groups but causing an uproar in Israeli political circles and exposing growing tensions among Israeli officials. relation.
Mohammad Abu Salmiya ran Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, an early focus of Israel’s invasion of Gaza. He was detained at the end of November while working with a United Nations ambulance convoy to evacuate patients from a hospital to southern Gaza, and was stopped at an Israeli checkpoint, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
The Israeli military later released evidence supporting Hamas operations within the Shifa complex, including showing reporters a reinforced tunnel built beneath it. An investigation by The New York Times revealed that Hamas had used the site for cover and stored weapons there.
Dr. Abu Salmiya’s release appears to have shocked Israeli officials. Itamar Ben Gvir, the far-right minister in charge of national security, called the doctor’s release a “security oversight” and blamed Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and intelligence Agency head Shin Bet Ronen Bar’s policy.
Galante’s office deflected responsibility and issued a statement saying the release of detainees “does not require approval from the secretary of defense.” The Israel Prison Service said in a statement that the decision was made by the Israeli military and the Shin Bet, but the military said Dr. Abusalmiya was not detained.
Even Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu distanced himself from the decision. In a statement on Monday, he called the hospital director’s release “a shocking mistake and moral failure” and said he and other key authorities had not been informed that whoever was responsible should be jailed.
In an effort to quell growing anger, Netanyahu said he was studying the decision and expected a response from the Shin Bet’s Mr Barr later on Monday. He also said he would set up a team of security and military officials to review detainees before their release.
Centrist minister Benny Gantz resigned from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet in early June, sending a message to Netanyahu in a statement on Monday. Gentleman suggested: “Prime Minister, if you close some government offices, you have to close some government offices.” I’m sure that will free up space and money for prisons.
Mr Gantz took the opportunity to renew his call for elections.
At a news conference in Khan Younis, southern Gaza on Monday, a visibly frail Dr. Abu Salmiya said nearly 50 other Palestinian detainees, including other doctors and health ministry staff, had also been released and Return to Gaza.
“We were subjected to extreme torture,” Dr. Abu Salmiya said. He said he was hit on the head multiple times and had his fingers broken.
Human rights groups say Dr Abu Salmiya’s lengthy detention without charge is an example of Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners, and his release comes as Israel’s Supreme Court considers a petition to close the military camp-turned-prison Book, Sde Teiman Thousands of Gazans have been detained since the war broke out last year.
It is unclear whether Dr. Abu Salmiya was previously held in Sde Teiman. He was released from another prison, Nafha, according to the Israel Prison Service.
However, Israel’s internal security agency, the Shin Bet, made reference to the controversy surrounding Stetelman in a statement on Monday explaining the doctor’s release. The statement noted that it had been decided to hold detainees in Stettman prison only for a short period of time, adding that it was necessary “to release dozens of detainees in order to clean up the prison premises.” The Shin Bet warned elected officials “in all possible forums” that it needed more space “given the need to arrest terrorists,” the statement said.
Gaza’s health ministry called for the release of all other detained Gaza medical staff who “have been arrested and abused simply for treating the sick and wounded”.
The ministry said at least 310 medical staff in Gaza had been detained by Israeli forces since the war began, but did not specify how many had been released.
Jonathan Rice Contributed reporting.
