The Israeli army has arrested the Director of the al-Shifa hospital, the largest medical complex on the Gaza strip.
Muhammad Abu Salmiya was arrested along with several other “senior doctors”, Khalid Abu Samra, a department chief at the hospital, told the AFP news agency on Thursday.
The arrest was also reported by the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, and was confirmed in a post on the social media platform X by Salmiya’s cousin, Adham Abu Selmiya.
Gaza’s ministry of health said it wants an explanation from the World Health Organization, as medics were travelling in a WHO convoy with patients when they were stopped and detained by Israeli forces.
A spokesperson for Gaza’s health ministry said they have decided to stop coordination with the WHO regarding evacuations until they send them a report explaining what happened.
The Israeli army, which raided the hospital last week, allege that Hamas fighters used a tunnel complex beneath the facility in Gaza City to stage attacks. Hamas and hospital officials have repeatedly denied the claims.
