Israel-Hamas war: Director of al-Shifa Hospital Mohammad Abu Salmiya arrested by Israeli Army

A doctor at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City told the news agency AFP that its director and several other medical personnel were arrested by Israeli forces on Thursday (Nov 23). Khalid Abu Samra, a chief of the department at the hospital, said: "Doctor Mohammad Abu Salmiya was arrested along with several other senior doctors."

Al-Shifa Hospital has been a major focus of the Israeli military operation against Hamas in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel.

Israel raided the hospital last week and claimed to have found tunnels beneath the hospital and said that they were used by Hamas militants. But Hamas has rejected these claims.

Ever since the war started, international media has frequently quoted Salmiya to report on the conditions inside Al-Shifa. Meanwhile, an official in the Hamas-run health ministry told the news agency that one other doctor and two nurses had been detained, besides the hospital director.

Hamas said in a statement that it "strongly denounces" the arrest of Salmiya and his colleagues. The group called on the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international organisations to work towards their "immediate release".

Evacuations orders

Last week, Salmiya told the news agency that he had received the evacuation order from Israeli forces after having refused a previous one. However, the Israeli Army stated that the evacuations were carried out at the "request" of Abu Salmiya.

The military also released an audio recording presented as a conversation between Salmiya and a senior Israeli officer in which the two men blame each other for the evacuation.

Watch: Israel claims it captured Hamas base in Northern Gaza;IDF saysno pause in fighting

Gaza 'most dangerous place in the world to be a child'

The head of the United Nations children's agency UNICEF said on Wednesday that the Gaza Strip is the "most dangerous place in the world to be a child".

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell told the UN Security Council that more than 5,300 Palestinian children had reportedly been killed since Oct 7.

"The true cost of this latest war in Palestine and Israel will be measured in children's lives – those lost to the violence and those forever changed by it. Without an end to the fighting and full humanitarian access, the cost will continue to grow exponentially," Russell said at a council briefing on women and children there.

Russell said: "The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. In Gaza, the effects of the violence perpetrated on children have been catastrophic, indiscriminate and disproportionate."

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.