The director of Gaza’s largest hospital has been arrested, the Hamas-run health ministry has said.
Dr Muhammad Abu Salmiya, who heads al Shifa hospital in Gaza City, has been detained along with “some of the medical staff”, a spokesman said.
Hamas said it “strongly condemned” his arrest, describing it as “nothing less than despicable” and “lacking any sense of humanity and morals”.
The group said it was a “flagrant violation of international norms and charters” given there are “obligations to ensure that medical personnel are never harmed, including in times of war”.
Hamas is calling on international bodies including the Red Cross and World Health Organisation (WHO) to evacuate the remaining patients from al Shifa.
It is also asking them to secure Dr Salmiya’s release, along with the medical personnel who were “arrested simply for continuing to fulfil their humanitarian duty”, it said.
On Sunday, the WHO described al Shifa as a “death zone” after medical experts visited the besieged facility.
Only 291 patients remained, it said, alongside 25 health workers.
Dr Salmiya’s arrest has not been confirmed by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
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