Thomas Helm
The National / July 1, 2024
Shin Bet says the release of Mohammad Abu Salamiya is a result of the government’s unpreparedness for a massive increase in Palestinian detainees.
Israeli politicians across the spectrum have criticised on Monday the release of the director of Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital, in which some Israeli hostages were reportedly held after the October 7 attacks.
Mohammad Abu Salmiya, who was arrested by the Israeli military in November, was released along with 55 other Palestinian detainees, according to Palestinian media. After his release, he told media in Gaza that he was tortured and deprived of food while in Israeli prisons.
The move was described as a risk to national security, an insult to hostages and their families and a sign that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is abandoning the captives, an accusation that has become a rallying call for the opposition and civil society in recent months.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid said the decision was a “direct continuation of the recklessness and dysfunction of [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s] government”.
Benny Gantz, who last month left a senior position in a unity government formed by Mr Netanyahu after the war broke out, said the decision was a “moral and ethical error” and called for national elections.
The release of Abu Salamiya also created chaos within the government, as ministers tried to distance themselves from the move, including the prime minister, whose office said “the decision to release the prisoners followed discussions at the High Court”.
The office of Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said: “The procedure for incarcerating security prisoners and their release is under [internal security agency] the Shin Bet and the Israel Prison Service, and is not subject to the approval of the defence minister.”
Israel’s Kan news channel published leaked WhatsApp messages in which far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the dismissal of the chief of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar.
Interior Minister Moshe Arbel hit back, asking whether Ben-Gvir would take any “responsibility in this matter”.
The Shin Bet accused Mr Ben-Gvir of significant responsibility in the scandal, saying he failed to respond to repeated calls by the agency to address a major shortage of prison cells that has been exacerbated by mass detentions in the Gaza War.
“The ISA was opposed to the release of Palestinian detainees from [the Occupied West Bank], who pose immediate danger, and of Hamas Nukhba terrorists who were involved in the fighting and harm to Israeli civilians,” it said.
“Therefore, due to the national need, as set by the National Security Council, a decision was made to release several detainees from Gaza, who pose less severe danger, after a wide risk assessment among all detainees,” it added.
“With no other choice, and without an immediate solution to the shortage in detention spaces, arrests will keep getting cancelled and detainees will keep getting released.”
Israel’s military launched assaults on Al-Shifa on a number of occasions throughout the war, saying that it was a centre of Hamas operations.
The targeting of Al-Shifa, which now lies in ruins, has led to accusations against Israel of war crimes. Operations there dealt a major blow to Gaza’s health system that has largely collapsed amid massive pressure put on it by the war, which has so far killed about 3,800 and injured more than 87,000 Gazans.
Israel and the US have said on a number of occasions that Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups used the hospital as a base and that Israeli hostages were at points held there.
Hamas has denied the accusations.
Thomas Helm is Jerusalem Correspondent at The National
_______
Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital director released by Israeli forces among dozens of others
Nagham Mohanna, Mina Aldroubi & Thomas Helm
The National / July 1, 2024
Mohammad Abu Salmiya said he was tortured and beaten by the army after being detained for at least six months.
Israeli forces on Monday released the director of Gaza’s biggest hospital, Al-Shifa, after more than six months in detention during which he claimed he was brutally “tortured” and “beaten” by the military.
Dr Mohammad Abu Salmiya, who was released along with about 50 other detained Palestinians, was accused by Israel of allowing Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza city to be used by Hamas as an operations centre.
Dr Abu Salmiya said Israeli forces had deprived all prisoners of their basic rights during detention.
“All prisoners have lost up to 30 kilograms due to food deprivation,” he said told press conference at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, south Gaza.
“I was subjected to almost daily torture in Israeli prisons. Our release from prison occurred without a deal, and the Israeli court confirmed that there were no charges against us,” he said.
Dr Abu Salmiya said the detainees did not receive any legal or international representation.
“We were prohibited from meeting any lawyer. The assaults on prisoners involve the use of dogs, batons, and the denial of mattresses and blankets,” he said.
He also accused Israeli nurses and doctors of participating in “beating detainees and violating humanitarian laws”.
Al-Shifa Hospital was mostly reduced to rubble in repeated raids by the Israeli military since it launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas attacked southern Israel October 7.
Dr Abu Salmiya said he will go back to work as soon as possible and vowed that Al-Shifaa hospital will be rebuild again.
Hospitals across the Palestinian enclave have suffered similar attacks in which their infrastructure was destroyed and staff members detained.
The Gaza European hospital in Khan Younis said the head of its orthopedic unit, Bassam Miqdad, was also among those freed on Monday.
Dr Miqdad said his “detention period lasted for five and a half months, during which detainees were transferred between several prisons”.
“The treatment was bad, I was deprived of food and was verbally abused. I was moved to three Israeli detention centres, the last being Nafha Prison,” he said.
Dr Miqdad said the interrogation period took place in Ashkelon Prison, where questions on the kidnapped Israeli civilians were asked regularly.
The release of Dr Abu Salmiya and other Palestinian detainees caused outrage among Israel’s top officials.
The move was described as a risk to national security, an insult to hostages and their families and a sign that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is abandoning the captives, an accusation that has become a rallying call for the opposition and civil society in recent months.
Former war cabinet member Benny Gantz, said those who released Al-Shifa Hospital director must be dismissed.
Gantz, leader of the National Unity party, called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “close some government offices to free up space and budget for prisoners”.
His comment was a reference to reports that the detainees were being freed because Israel’s prisons were full.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, said the release was “security negligence”.
“The time has come for the Prime Minister to stop [Defence Minister Yoav] Gallant and the head of the Shin Bet from conducting an independent policy contrary to the position of the cabinet and the government,” Ben-Gvir said on X.
He repeated the accusation that Hamas used Al-Shifa Hospital as a cover for its military operations and infrastructure.
Hamas denies the allegations.
Israel’s Kan news channel published leaked WhatsApp messages in which far-right Minister Ben-Gvir called for the dismissal of the chief of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar.
Interior Minister Moshe Arbel hit back, asking whether Ben-Gvir would take any “responsibility in this matter”.
In an unusually direct statement, the Shin Bet accused Ben-Gvir of significant responsibility in the scandal, saying he failed to respond to repeated calls by the agency to address a major shortage of prison cells that has been exacerbated by mass detentions in the Gaza War.
“The ISA was opposed to the release of Palestinian detainees from [the Occupied West Bank], who pose immediate danger, and of Hamas Nukhba terrorists who were involved in the fighting and harm to Israeli civilians,” the statement said.
Government ministers tried to distance themselves from the move, including Mr Netanyahu whose office said “the decision to release the prisoners followed discussions at the High Court”.
The office of Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said, “The procedure for incarcerating security prisoners and their release is under [internal security agency] the Shin Bet and the Israel Prison Service, and is not subject to the approval of the defence minister.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid said the decision was a “direct continuation of the recklessness and dysfunction of [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s] government”.
