Al Shifa Director Released But Israelis Not Pleased!

After seven months in captivity the Israeli occupation army released the director of the Al Shifa Medical Complex Dr Mohammad Abu Salmiya along with 54 Palestinian prisoners incarcerated with him.

News of their release, Monday 1 July, 2024, is making headways on social media with images and commentary.

The freed Palestinian prisoners were transported first to Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Dier Al Balah and then to Nasser Hospital where Abu Samiya held a press conference, outlining what he was subjected to by the Israeli authorities.

Dr Abu Samiya who was arrested on 23 November, 2023, said he was tried three times but the Israeli authorities said there was anything against him but he was kept in detention nevertheless.  

In a full interview with Anadolu, he said the conditions of the Palestinian prisoner’s kept in Israeli jails are “tragic, unprecedented in Palestinian  history with sever food shortages and physical humiliation.”

Later the director of Al-Shfa said “We are determined to rebuild Gaza and rebuild the Al-Shifa Medical Complex once more,” and make it an medical health institution for the whole of Gaza and the West Bank.

The release of the Palestinian prisoners has created much animosity among the members of the Israeli government like hard-right Minister of National Security Itamar Bin Gvir who criticized the move, terming it as “security negligence.”

He blamed the release of the Palestinian prisoners on Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the Shin Bet and said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must force them to stope pursuing an independent policy that contradicts the government.

Surprisingly as well, criticism of the release came Benny Gantz who recently resigned from the now disbanded Israeli War Cabinet over the conduct of the war on Gaza.

“The government has committed an operational, ethical, and moral failure. Whoever made the decision lacks leadership abilities and should be dismissed today,” he said.

CrossFireArabia

CrossFireArabia

Dr. Marwan Asmar holds a PhD from Leeds University and is a freelance writer specializing on the Middle East. He has worked as a journalist since the early 1990s in Jordan and the Gulf countries, and been widely published, including at Albawaba, Gulf News, Al Ghad, World Press Review and others.

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Palestinian Journalists Under Attack – 55 Israeli Violations in May

The Palestinian Journalists Association (PJA) announced, Monday, it documented 55 violations by Israeli occupation soldiers against Palestinian journalists in last May. It described such violations are part of a  systematic policy to restrict and prevent West Bank and Gaza journalists to carry out their professional duties.

The PJA’s Freedoms Committee said in a press statement to Quds Press the Israeli occupation continues its violations against journalists and media workers to limit their ability to report the truth and document attacks and violations against Palestinians.

The documented violations during May included two injuries from live ammunition while covering events in the field, two arbitrary arrests, and 30 cases of detention and prevention from working and covering events.

The committee also recorded five cases of direct gunfire directed at journalists, five attacks using tear gas and stun grenades, in addition to two cases of confiscation of journalistic equipment and two cases of physical assault on journalists.

The violations include two cases of journalists being barred from covering news at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, one of a media outlet being raided and shut down, another of a journalist being brought before a court and three cases of journalists summoned and interrogated.

The committee affirmed that these practices constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, the Geneva Conventions, and international covenants on freedom of opinion and expression, which stipulate the protection of journalists while performing their professional duties in conflict zones.

It added that the escalating targeting of journalists reflects a systematic approach aimed at restricting media coverage and preventing the dissemination of information about the reality and violations suffered by the Palestinian people. The committee noted that the occupation continues to use various means to suppress media work and obstruct the public’s access to information.

The Committee for Freedoms called on international human rights and media organizations, as well as the United Nations, to uphold their legal and moral responsibilities, pressure the occupation authorities to cease their ongoing violations against Palestinian journalists, hold those responsible accountable, and provide the necessary protection for media workers.

The PJA announced last May it documented nearly 300 Israeli crimes, violations, and attacks against Palestinian journalists since the beginning of 2026 and the trend is set to continue judging from the scale of esclation against media workers.

The press association indicated at the time the number of journalists killed reached 262 since the outbreak of the war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, including 261 journalists murdered in the Gaza Strip, in addition to six journalists killed since the beginning of 2026.

This comes at a time when Israeli attacks against Palestinians continue in various areas, amid increasing complaints about the targeting of journalists, the obstruction of their work, and the prevention of their coverage of events on the ground and their reporting to the public.

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