Gaza’s Ministry of Health suspends its coordination with WHO due to the arrest of the director of Al Shifa Hospital
Gaza’s Health Ministry said in a statement that it has suspended coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) after Israeli soldiers detained the director of Al-Shifa Hospital and other staff during the evacuation of the medical center. Therefore, the departure of doctors and patients from this hospital, the largest in Gaza, was suspended.
The hospital is in the hands of Israeli soldiers after several days of fighting in the area and a final attack on its facilities. Israel claims Hamas used it as a command center, something Palestinian authorities deny. Israel then ordered the evacuation of its remaining patients, including several dozen premature babies, and staff. A doctor at the center told Al Jazeera network on Thursday that the center’s director, Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, was arrested on Wednesday.
Following the arrest, the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza stopped cooperating with the WHO and stopped evacuating patients, medical and nursing staff from the center.
In its statement, the ministry criticizes the fact that the medical teams were detained even though their departure was agreed with Israel and took place under the auspices of the United Nations, thereby “deceiving” the personnel, for which it claims the United Nations “take action They are taking action on this matter.” The note said that a UN convoy sent to evacuate patients and staff was intercepted by Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint between the northern and southern Gaza Strips and some health workers were attacked. “The matter ended with the arrest of several of them, including the director of Al Shifa Hospital.” They reiterate that the UN bears “full responsibility” for the event and criticize that “the WHO has not submitted a report to the ministry. “ [de Sanidad de Gaza] to clarify what happened, including the number and names of those arrested.”
Israeli military sources cited by Israeli public broadcaster Kan confirmed the arrest of the hospital director and stressed that he would be interrogated in the area and later handed over to Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency. (agencies)