Watan-In a recent development, Israeli occupation forces have arrested Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, the director of the Shifa Medical Complex, along with patients and doctors present at the facility in northern Gaza Strip, currently under occupation.

According to Israeli broadcasting, the occupation forces detained the director of Shifa Hospital in Gaza, in addition to several doctors working at the renowned medical complex.

Confirmation from Shifa Hospital Staff Mutas Harara, an emergency medicine specialist at Shifa Complex, confirmed the arrest of hospital director Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya. He stated in an interview with Al Jazeera that the occupation forces had raided the emergency department in the past hours, conducting searches inside.

Harara pointed out that there are 180 patients in need of care within the hospital, while only three doctors and four nurses are available to provide assistance.

Israeli Occupation’s Takeover of Shifa Medical Complex

The Israeli occupation army had previously stormed the Shifa Medical Complex, converting it into a military barracks after intense battles in its vicinity. The complex was evacuated of a significant number of wounded individuals, patients, and medical staff.

To justify its actions, the Israeli army claimed to have evidence that the hospital was being used for military purposes. In response, Hamas denied the allegations, describing them as a “fabricated story that no one will believe.”

Gaza Health Ministry Refutes Israeli Claims

The Gaza Ministry of Health affirmed that the Israeli occupation forces did not find any weapons or military equipment in Shifa Hospital in Gaza. It emphasized that, as a policy, it does not allow the presence of weapons in its affiliated hospitals.

In a related context, an analysis by The Guardian revealed that the images released by the Israeli army from Shifa Medical Complex failed to substantiate the narrative that Hamas was using the medical facility as a command center for its operations.