The Israeli military confirmed on Thursday that Dr. Muhammad Abu Salamiyah, the director of Al Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip, has been held for questioning.
The investigation centers around evidence suggesting the hospital was utilized as a command and control center for the Islamist movement Hamas. The military contends that, under Abu Salamiyah’s management, the hospital became a hub for extensive Hamas terrorist activity, housing military infrastructure and storing weapons.
Israeli troops, entering the complex earlier this month, uncovered what they claim is at least one well-equipped tunnel and a quantity of weapons, providing insight into how the hospital allegedly functioned for Hamas. While the military did not disclose the circumstances of Abu Salamiyah’s detention, the Palestinian health ministry reported that he and several doctors were arrested at dawn at a checkpoint on the road connecting northern Gaza to the south.
Palestinian Health Minister Mai Al-Kayla criticized the arrests, stating that they exemplify Israel’s disregard for international humanitarian law.
