Israel has confirmed it’s holding the director of one of many final functioning hospitals in northern Gaza following reviews of his arrest final week.
Dr Hussam Abu Safiya was held together with dozens of different workers and brought to an interrogation centre during a raid on the Kamal Adwan Hospital on 27 December.
The Israeli army mentioned they focused the hospital because it was getting used a command centre by Hamas militants.
Now, the Israel Protection Forces (IDF) have confirmed the physician is being held on suspicion of “involvement in terrorist actions” and accused him of “holding a rank” in Hamas, however haven’t disclosed his whereabouts.
He’s “at present being investigated” by Israeli safety forces, the assertion mentioned.
Human rights campaigners have raised issues for Dr Abu Safiya’s welfare, with the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor organisation saying it had acquired data his well being had deteriorated.
It mentioned Physicians for Human Rights – Israel, one other human rights group, had submitted a request for data and a lawyer’s go to on behalf of the hospital director’s household.
Following the raid on the hospital, Sky Information spoke to sufferers who mentioned they had been pressured exterior in chilly climate and instructed to strip.
Affirmation of Dr Abu Safiya’s detention comes as Israeli strikes killed at the least 30 individuals in Gaza, together with youngsters, in a single day, in accordance with workers at al Aqsa Martyrs, one other hospital within the enclave.
The Israeli military once more mentioned in an announcement that it had struck Hamas gathering factors and command centres.
Earlier this week, a brand new report from the UN Human Rights Workplace mentioned Gaza’s health system was being brought “to the brink of total collapse” by Israel’s assaults on and round hospitals within the area.
At the very least 10 hospitals have been attacked by Israeli forces because the begin of the warfare, some a number of occasions, the report mentioned.
The Kamal Adwan Hospital has been hit a number of occasions over the previous three months.
The Israel-Hamas war was sparked after Hamas launched an assault on Israel on 7 October 2023.
Militants killed round 1,200 individuals, largely civilians, and kidnapped about 250. Round 100 hostages are nonetheless inside Gaza, with at the least a 3rd believed to be useless.
Israel’s retaliation has killed greater than 45,500 Palestinians, greater than half of them girls and youngsters, and wounded greater than 108,000 others, in accordance with the Hamas-run Palestinian well being ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Israel’s army says it solely targets militants. The military says it has killed 17,000 militants, with out offering proof.
