Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Latest News

Senior Gaza doctor alleges ‘severe torture’ following release from Israeli detention as politicians clash over decision

The head of Gaza’s largest hospital has claimed he was repeatedly tortured during his seven months in Israeli detention, following his sudden release Monday, in a move that highlighted growing rifts in the Israeli establishment.

Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, the director of the Al-Shifa medical complex, who was arrested in late November during the first of two Israeli raids on the facility in Gaza City, was released along with 50 other Palestinian detainees.

Their release has sparked outcry in Israel and was criticized across the political spectrum, as well as by families of the Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas during its deadly October 7 attack.

At a news conference Monday, Abu Salmiya alleged Palestinian detainees suffered “severe torture” and had medical treatment denied.

“My little finger was broken. I was repeatedly subjected to hitting on the head, causing bleeding multiple times. There was almost daily torture in the Israeli prisons,” he told reporters.

“The doctor there beats the detainees, and the nurse beats the detainees. This is in violation of all international laws.”

Abu Salmiya said fellow prisoners lost a significant amount of weight and were “completely denied treatment.”

“They amputated the feet of several prisoners, those who are suffering from diabetes symptoms due to the lack of medical treatment for them,” he said.

A prison service spokesperson said, “prisoners and detainees have the right to file a complaint that will be fully examined and addressed by official authorities.”

Abu Salmiya was reportedly detained while evacuating the hospital with a World Health Organization convoy. The Israeli military said at the time the director was “apprehended and transferred for … questioning following evidence showing that the Shifa Hospital, under his direct management, served as a Hamas command and control center.”

Al-Shifa became a flashpoint in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza and now lies in ruins following a 14-day Israeli siege in March. Israel repeatedly claimed that a Hamas command center sat underneath the medical complex and that the militant group has used it to hold hostages. Hamas has denied the claims, as have health officials working there.

Other Palestinian detainees released on Monday described overcrowded detention centers where prisoners were abused, diseases were rife, and food was scarce.

“They would show us photos of our relatives’ bodies, pictures of our families and children … and say: ‘Look at your children, we killed them.’ They would show us pictures of our wives, our sisters, and tell us that they had taken them and done this and that to them,” Faraj said.

Israeli outcry

The release has created tensions within Israel as its war with Hamas stretches into its ninth month, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordering an “immediate inquiry into the matter,” according to his office.

Netanyahu said the decision followed discussions at the High Court, and the identity of the released prisoners was determined independently by security officials “based on their professional considerations.”

Israel’s domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet said in a statement that detainees who posed a “lesser danger” were released to “free up places of confinement.”

Shin Bet said it had been warning for about a year of the need to increase the number of spaces in detention centers “given the need to arrest terrorists” in the West Bank and Gaza.

“Without a choice, without an immediate solution to the prison shortage, arrests will continue to be canceled and detainees will continue to be released,” the agency said.

But far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was among those outraged by the decision, calling the release of Abu Salmiya and other prisoners “security negligence.”

Former defense minister Benny Gantz, who resigned from Israel’s War Cabinet last month, said “whoever made this decision lacked judgment and should be fired today.”

The decision to release the detainees comes as families of Israelis taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7 attacks continue to wait for news of their loved ones. As many as 120 hostages remain captive in Gaza.

In a statement Monday, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum headquarters said it hoped the Israeli government would be “determined to release our family members, with the same determination as it releases the director of Shifa Hospital.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com

Enter Your Information Below To Receive Free Trading Ideas, Latest News And Articles.






    Your information is secure and your privacy is protected. By opting in you agree to receive emails from us. Remember that you can opt-out any time, we hate spam too!

    You May Also Like

    Stock

    In this edition of StockCharts TV‘s The Final Bar, Dave shows how breadth conditions have evolved so far in August, highlights the renewed strength in the...

    Stock

    Major equity indexes rose on Friday after a selloff that hit the Technology sector especially hard. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is...

    Latest News

    Britain’s Prince and Princess of Wales have released a new photo of Prince Louis to mark his sixth birthday on Tuesday, the first image...

    Latest News

    President Joe Biden travels to Triangle, Virginia, Monday to mark Earth Day, where he’ll unveil $7 billion in grant funding for solar power under...

    Disclaimer: Dealwithbiz.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.


    Copyright © 2024 Dealwithbiz.com