Palestinian hospital manager released after over 200 days as a prisoner of war in Israel

Israel’s Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir reacts strongly to the release of Shifa Hospital director Muhammad Abu Salmiya and his return to Gaza.

– He was released together with dozens of other terrorists, he writes on X.

The Israeli prison service claims to the newspaper Haaretz that it was the country’s military leadership and the Shin Bet security service that decided to release him.

The Shin Bet states that the decision will now be investigated, and the Israeli army has not commented on the release.

Baseless claim

Salmiya was captured when Israeli soldiers stormed the Shifa hospital in Gaza City in November.

The Israeli army claimed that Hamas carried out “extensive terrorist activities” at the hospital, for which no evidence was ever provided.

The release of the hospital director, without charges being brought against him, also does not help to substantiate the claim.

Both he and Hamas have rejected the Israeli claim as baseless.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is very unhappy, and calls the release a serious mistake.

“Abducted Israelis were held captive and killed under this man’s responsibility, and his place is in prison,” Netanyahu said in a statement.

He claims that the decision was taken without the top political leadership being informed.

Torture

Muhammad Abu Salmiya says that the Palestinian prisoners of war in Israel are held in “tragic” conditions.

– It was torture almost daily. They broke into the cells and beat up the prisoners, he said AP during a hastily called press conference after he was returned to Gaza.

According to Salmiya, the guards broke one of his fingers and beat him so that he bled from the head. During the abuse, they used both clubs and dogs, he says.

Another of those who was released on Monday, Faraj al-Samuni, tells the Palestinian News Agency He died that he was confined in a tent with 30 other Palestinian prisoners of war in the Sde Teiman prison camp.

According to him, they were also subjected to torture and other forms of ill-treatment.

Israeli prison authorities have previously denied this.

The Israeli army claimed opposite CNN in May that they ensure adequate treatment of the Palestinians held captive in Sde Teiman.

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According to the lawyer Khaled Mahajneh, who was allowed to visit one of the prisoners in Sde Teiman two weeks ago, some of the prisoners were kept in chains and blindfolded 24 hours a day.

According to him, amputations and other operations were also carried out on some of them, without them being given anaesthesia.

Israel refuses to state how many prisoners of war it has taken in the Gaza Strip.

Amnesty International is among those who have expressed deep concern over the fate of the prisoners, and so have UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Haaretz wrote in late May that Israeli military police were investigating at least 35 deaths among the prisoners and that several of them died after being mistreated by Israeli soldiers.

At least 37,900 killed

At least 37,900 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since October. That equates to an average of over 140 every single day of the 269-day war.

According to the health authorities in Gaza, over 40 percent of those killed are children. An unknown number of victims are also buried in the ruins of bombed buildings.

87,060 people have been injured in the Israeli attacks since October 7, and many of them have suffered lifelong injuries.

Israeli attacks continue unabated against the enclave, despite repeated international calls for a ceasefire.

On Monday, Palestinian militants also fired about 20 rockets at Israel, but most were shot down by Israeli air defenses and none caused damage.