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AtlanticMar 24
Gaza: Al-Shifa Hospital Director Released from Israeli Detention
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Above: IDF raid on terror headquarters in al-Shifa Hospital, March 30, 2024. Image copyright: Wikimedia Commons
The Facts
Israel released Mohammed Abu Selmia, the director of Gaza's al-Shifa Hospital, on Monday after detaining him for seven months without charge or trial over allegations that the medical complex had been used as a Hamas command center.
Abu Selmia, who was released back into Gaza along with 54 other Palestinian detainees, reported that he and fellow detainees were tortured behind bars. Though the allegations aren't verified, their accounts matched previous reports of torture and abuse in Israeli detention.
The Spin
Pro-Palestine narrative
Abu Selmia's release should be the final nail in the coffin for Israel's justifications for its systematic destruction of medical facilities across Gaza. Though it's unsurprising that Israel lied about Shifa, Abu Selmia's release is a testament to the fact that Israel didn't have a single shred of evidence that he was involved with Hamas. Additionally, his account of torture at the hands of Israeli forces is more evidence of Israel's cruel policies toward Palestinians.
Pro-Israel narrative
There's no doubt that Hamas used Shifa as a terror base and to conceal hostages, regardless of whether Abu Selmia was involved or not. There's currently an unhelpful blame game underway in Israel regarding the release of potential terrorists. The goal of this campaign can't be forgotten — the elimination of Hamas and the prevention of another Oct. 7 attack.
