Israel released Mohammed Abu Selmia, the director of Gaza’s main medical center, Shifa Hospital, after holding him for seven months without charge or trial over allegations that the facility had been used as a Hamas command center. Abu Selmia and others who were released alleged that they were abused during their detention, with claims of beatings, fingers being broken, and heads bleeding from the mistreatment. The decision to release Abu Selmia resulted in harsh condemnations from government ministers and opposition leaders.
The release of Mohammed Abu Selmia and 54 other Palestinian detainees drew criticism from across the political spectrum in Israel. There were allegations that Shifa Hospital had been used by Hamas, which Israeli forces had raided twice since the start of the nine-month conflict with Hamas. Despite these accusations, Abu Selmia and other health officials consistently denied the claims. The fact that he was released without charge or trial led to further questions about the validity of the allegations.
Abu Selmia was released back into Gaza with the other detainees, many of whom made similar claims of abuse while in Israeli custody. Abu Selmia spoke of the daily torture he and others experienced behind bars, mentioning beatings with batons and dogs, as well as inadequate medical care that resulted in amputations for some detainees. Israeli forces had raided Shifa Hospital multiple times on suspicion of military activity occurring within the facility, with evidence of a tunnel leading to a few rooms found during one of the raids.
The decision to release Abu Selmia resulted in criticism from government ministers and opposition leaders, who sought to shift blame for the release to various state organs involved in detentions. The release was characterized as “security negligence” by the far-right national security minister, who blamed the Defense Ministry. Opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized the release as evidence of government dysfunction. The military, Shin Bet internal security agency, and prison service all played a role in the decision to release the detainees.
Since the start of the war, Israeli forces have detained thousands of Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied West Bank, leading to overcrowding in military detention facilities and prisons. Many are being held without charge in administrative detention. The war has resulted in thousands of Palestinian deaths and massive displacement within Gaza, with humanitarian aid delivery hindered by ongoing fighting, restrictions, and public order breakdown. Widespread hunger and fears of famine have emerged as a result of the conflict.
