Israeli forces have detained Dr Mohammed Abu Salmiya, the director of Gaza City's al-Shifa Hospital, for questioning. The detention occurred a week after a controversial raid on the medical facility. Dr Abu Salmiya was held at a checkpoint while evacuating patients to the south, according to a colleague.
The Israeli military stated that Dr Abu Salmiya is being questioned over evidence that al-Shifa Hospital served as a Hamas command and control centre. Both he and Hamas have denied these allegations. The military also claimed that a Hamas tunnel network beneath the hospital exploited its resources and that weapons were stored on the premises.
Meanwhile, heavy fire was reported around the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza. A doctor there said Israeli troops had ordered its full evacuation, though the Israeli military said it was checking the reports. The conflict began after a Hamas attack on 7 October killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostages, prompting an Israeli military campaign aimed at destroying Hamas.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reports over 14,500 deaths since the start of Israeli strikes. A truce agreement between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Qatar, is set to begin on Friday, involving a four-day pause in fighting and the exchange of 50 hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
About 250 patients and staff remain at al-Shifa, which is no longer operational. The UN reported that 190 wounded and sick people were evacuated from the hospital on Wednesday, but three paramedics and a companion were detained at a checkpoint. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society confirmed that one paramedic, Awni Khattab, remains in custody.
