Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to distance himself from the release. Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to distance himself from the release. Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to distance himself from the release. Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to distance himself from the release. Reuters

Israeli political uproar after the release of Al Shifa Hospital director


Thomas Helm
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza

Israeli politicians across the spectrum have criticised on Monday the release of the director of Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital, in which some Israeli hostages were reportedly held after the October 7 attacks.

Mohammad Abu Salmiya, who was arrested by the Israeli military in November, was released along with 55 other Palestinian detainees, according to Palestinian media. After his release, he told media in Gaza that he was tortured and deprived of food while in Israeli prisons.

The move was described as a risk to national security, an insult to hostages and their families and a sign that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is abandoning the captives, an accusation that has become a rallying call for the opposition and civil society in recent months.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said the decision was a “direct continuation of the recklessness and dysfunction of [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s] government”.

Benny Gantz, who last month left a senior position in a unity government formed by Mr Netanyahu after the war broke out, said the decision was a “moral and ethical error” and called for national elections.

Palestinian doctor Mohammad Abu Salmiya, the director of Al Shifa Hospital who was detained by Israeli forces, has been released from an Israeli jail. Reuters
Palestinian doctor Mohammad Abu Salmiya, the director of Al Shifa Hospital who was detained by Israeli forces, has been released from an Israeli jail. Reuters

The release of Mr Abu Salamiya also created chaos within the government, as ministers tried to distance themselves from the move, including the prime minister, whose office said “the decision to release the prisoners followed discussions at the High Court”.

The office of Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said: “The procedure for incarcerating security prisoners and their release is under [internal security agency] the Shin Bet and the Israel Prison Service, and is not subject to the approval of the defence minister.”

Israel’s Kan news channel published leaked WhatsApp messages in which far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the dismissal of the chief of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar.

Interior Minister Moshe Arbel hit back, asking whether Mr Ben-Gvir would take any “responsibility in this matter”.

The Shin Bet accused Mr Ben-Gvir of significant responsibility in the scandal, saying he failed to respond to repeated calls by the agency to address a major shortage of prison cells that has been exacerbated by mass detentions in the Gaza War.

“The ISA was opposed to the release of Palestinian detainees from [the Occupied West Bank], who pose immediate danger, and of Hamas Nukhba terrorists who were involved in the fighting and harm to Israeli civilians,” it said.

Al Shifa used to be Gaza's largest hospital. AFP
Al Shifa used to be Gaza's largest hospital. AFP

“Therefore, due to the national need, as set by the National Security Council, a decision was made to release several detainees from Gaza, who pose less severe danger, after a wide risk assessment among all detainees,” it added.

“With no other choice, and without an immediate solution to the shortage in detention spaces, arrests will keep getting cancelled and detainees will keep getting released.”

Israel’s military launched assaults on Al Shifa on a number of occasions throughout the war, saying that it was a centre of Hamas operations.

The targeting of Al Shifa, which now lies in ruins, has led to accusations against Israel of war crimes. Operations there dealt a major blow to Gaza’s health system that has largely collapsed amid massive pressure put on it by the war, which has so far killed about 3,800 and injured more than 87,000 Gazans.

Israel and the US have said on a number of occasions that Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups used the hospital as a base and that Israeli hostages were at points held there.

Hamas has denied the accusations.

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

Asia%20Cup%202022
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWhat%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAsia%20Cup%20final%3A%20Sri%20Lanka%20v%20Pakistan%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWhen%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESunday%2C%20September%2011%2C%20from%206pm%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWhere%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EDubai%20International%20Stadium%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EHow%20to%20watch%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ECatch%20the%20live%20action%20on%20Starzplay%20across%20Mena%20region.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Miss Granny

Director: Joyce Bernal

Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa

3/5

(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)

Company%20Profile
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MEYDAN CARD

6.30pm Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

7.05pm Conditions Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m

7.40pm Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 2,000m

8.15pm Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m

8.50pm The Entisar Listed Dh265,000 (D) 2,000m

9.25pm The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,200m

10pm Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m

 

The National selections

6.30pm Majestic Thunder

7.05pm Commanding

7.40pm Mark Of Approval

8.15pm Mulfit

8.50pm Gronkowski

9.25pm Walking Thunder

10pm Midnight Sands

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Biography

Favourite book: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Holiday choice: Anything Disney-related

Proudest achievement: Receiving a presidential award for foreign services.

Family: Wife and three children.

Like motto: You always get what you ask for, the universe listens.

A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
  • 2018: Formal work begins
  • November 2021: First 17 volumes launched 
  • November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
  • October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
  • November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
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THE SPECS

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 258hp at 5,000-6,500rpm

Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,400rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 6.4L/100km

Price, base: from D215,000 (Dh230,000 as tested)

On sale: now

THREE
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The%20Roundup%20%3A%20No%20Way%20Out
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lee%20Sang-yong%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Don%20Lee%2C%20Lee%20Jun-hyuk%2C%20Munetaka%20Aoki%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
  • Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
  • Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
  • The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
  • Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
  • It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
  • Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
  • Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Playing records of the top 10 in 2017

How many games the top 10 have undertaken in the 2017 ATP season

1. Rafael Nadal 58 (49-9)

2. Andy Murray 35 (25-10)

3. Roger Federer 38 (35-3)

4. Stan Wawrinka 37 (26-11)

5. Novak Djokovic 40 (32-8)

6. Alexander Zverev 60 (46-14)

7. Marin Cilic 43 (29-14)

8. Dominic Thiem 60 (41-19)

9. Grigor Dimitrov 48 (34-14)

10. Kei Nishikori 43 (30-13)

Tuesday results:

  • Singapore bt Malaysia by 29 runs
  • UAE bt Oman by 13 runs
  • Hong Kong bt Nepal by 3 wickets

Final:
Thursday, UAE v Hong Kong

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Opening Premier League fixtures, August 14
  • Brentford v Arsenal
  • Burnley v Brighton
  • Chelsea v Crystal Palace
  • Everton v Southampton
  • Leicester City v Wolves
  • Manchester United v Leeds United
  • Newcastle United v West Ham United
  • Norwich City v Liverpool
  • Tottenham v Manchester City
  • Watford v Aston Villa

Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff
By Sean Penn
Simon & Schuster

The struggle is on for active managers

David Einhorn closed out 2018 with his biggest annual loss ever for the 22-year-old Greenlight Capital.

The firm’s main hedge fund fell 9 per cent in December, extending this year’s decline to 34 percent, according to an investor update viewed by Bloomberg.

Greenlight posted some of the industry’s best returns in its early years, but has stumbled since losing more than 20 per cent in 2015.

Other value-investing managers have also struggled, as a decade of historically low interest rates and the rise of passive investing and quant trading pushed growth stocks past their inexpensive brethren. Three Bays Capital and SPO Partners & Co., which sought to make wagers on undervalued stocks, closed in 2018. Mr Einhorn has repeatedly expressed his frustration with the poor performance this year, while remaining steadfast in his commitment to value investing.

Greenlight, which posted gains only in May and October, underperformed both the broader market and its peers in 2018. The S&P 500 Index dropped 4.4 per cent, including dividends, while the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index, an early indicator of industry performance, fell 7 per cent through December. 28.

At the start of the year, Greenlight managed $6.3 billion in assets, according to a regulatory filing. By May, the firm was down to $5.5bn. 

Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
  • 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
  • 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
  • 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
Updated: July 01, 2024, 1:11 PM`