Israel on Monday released 55 Palestinian prisoners, including the director of al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, who alleged he had been mistreated during his eight-month captivity.
Mohammed Abu Salmiya, who was detained by Israeli forces while escorting patients from a hospital with United Nations support during the first Israeli raid on al-Shifa in November, said he was held without ever being charged and that prisoners were given only one loaf of bread a day.
Salmiya also said he and other prisoners faced “severe” torture on a daily basis by Israeli medical staff.
“Many prisoners are still left in very poor health and psychological conditions,” he said at a news conference, according to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency.
Hamas used the abuse allegations to hold Israeli leaders accountable for the torture they committed against Palestinians, according to a statement shared by the militant group’s media outlets.
Israel raided al-Shifa in Gaza City in November after accusing the Palestinian militant group Hamas of using the hospital as a military base.
Israel was heavily criticized for the operation that endangered patients, but continued to maintain that the hospital was being used by Hamas. It released videos showing weapons hidden in the hospital and nearby tunnel systems, but the evidence did not fully support claims that it was being used as a military base.
Israeli forces returned to al-Shifa in March to eliminate more Hamas fighters, part of an effort to return to previously evacuated areas after what Israel says were renewed uprisings.
The prisoners were released on Monday to make room as the prisons are reportedly full, Israeli media reported, citing a statement from Israel’s internal security agency, Shin Bet.
Israel has arrested thousands of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank since Hamas invaded southern Israel on October 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, of whom some 120 remain in custody.
The decision to release the prisoners sparked a backlash in Israel from far-right leaders, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who called it a “security lapse” while claiming that Shin Bet wants to improve the prisoners’ conditions or release them.
Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli said the decision to release the prisoners was not approved by the government or the cabinet.
“Whoever is behind this must be held accountable for a negligent and harmful decision to Israel’s security,” he posted on the social platform X.
According to a statement shared by Israeli media, the Israeli Prison Service claims that the Israeli army and Shin Bet made the decision to release the prisoners.
The non-profit Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said in a post on X that it is concerned about Salmiya’s life after his release.
“We follow with great concern the storm of backlash within the Israeli government following the release of Abu Salmiya and warn that the life of the director of Shifa Hospital is in serious danger,” the group said.
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