Israel has freed the director of Gaza's largest hospital, Mohammed Abu Salmiya, who had been held for over seven months, along with dozens of other Palestinian prisoners who were returned to the blockaded Gaza Strip for medical treatment. The release was announced on social media by Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and confirmed by a medical source within Gaza. Abu Salmiya, the head of Al Shifa hospital, was detained in November. Since Israel's military campaign began following the October 7 Hamas attacks on southern Israel, the hospital where he worked has been largely reduced to ruins due to repeated raids. The released detainees, including Abu Salmiya, re-entered Gaza from Israel near Khan Yunis, according to a medical source at Al Aqsa hospital in Deir el-Balah. Five of the detainees were admitted to Al Aqsa hospital, while the rest were sent to hospitals in Khan Yunis. An AFP correspondent in Deir el-Balah witnessed emotional reunions between some detainees and their families. The Israeli military stated it was verifying reports of the prisoner release, but Minister Ben Gvir confirmed it on X (formerly Twitter), calling it a "security abandonment." Israel has accused Hamas of using Gaza Strip hospitals as cover for military activities and infrastructure, a claim the militant group, which has governed Gaza since 2007, denies. In May, Palestinian rights groups reported the death of a senior Al-Shifa surgeon in an Israeli jail after detention; the Israeli army claimed it had no knowledge of the death. The conflict began with Hamas's October 7 attack, which resulted in 1,195 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. Israel's counter-offensive has claimed at least 37,877 lives, predominantly civilians, according to data from the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.