Israeli army releases Al Jazeera correspondent, other journalists arrested at Gaza hospital

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) - The Israeli army late on Monday released Al Jazeera correspondent Ismail al-Ghoul and other journalists after arresting them earlier in the day at al-Shifa Hospital in western Gaza City.

Al-Ghoul and the other journalists were arrested early on Monday by Israeli forces who raided the hospital, arrested dozens, and kicked out thousands of Palestinians who were sheltering inside.

The Doha-based TV network said in a statement that a broadcast vehicle with cameras and other equipment was destroyed by Israeli forces following the arrests of journalists inside the hospital.

The US State Department was among those to express concern about the fate of the detained journalists.

The Gaza Media Office said last month that at least 126 Palestinian media workers have been killed since Israel began its offensive in Gaza last Oct. 7, after a cross-border raid by Hamas that killed some 1,200 people.

More than 31,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, and over 73,000 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.