Release of Gaza hospital director sparks protests in Israel
The raid turned Al-Shifa into a symbol of war, and many Gazans saw Israel’s targeting of medical institutions as a sign of contempt for Palestinian life. The detention of Dr. Abu Salmiya reinforced this view. For Israelis, the hospital was an example of Hamas’s exploitation of civilian infrastructure for military purposes.The Israeli military later released some evidence to support its claim that Hamas operated inside the Shifa compound, including showing reporters a fortified tunnel built beneath its grounds. A New York Times investigation suggested that Hamas had used the site as a shelter and stored weapons there. The Israeli military, however, struggled to substantiate its claim that Hamas maintained a command and control center beneath the facility.Dr. Abu Salmiya's release has se...