Rights group warns detained Gaza hospital director’s life is at risk
Physicians for Human Rights Israel says Dr Hussam Abu Safia has severe injuries after more than 555 days in Israeli detention without charge.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
A Palestinian doctor who ran Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza is in immediate danger in Israeli custody, Physicians for Human Rights Israel said. The warning adds pressure on Israel over the detention of Dr Hussam Abu Safia, who has been held for more than 555 days without charge, according to his family and the rights group.
Abu Safia’s son, Elyas Abu Safia, said in a video message on Sunday that his father’s condition had worsened after Israeli authorities moved him to solitary confinement in a maximum-security facility. Elyas, who is also a doctor, said lawyer Nasser Odeh visited his father and relayed details that alarmed the family.
According to Elyas Abu Safia, his father was struggling to breathe and speak during the visit. He said the doctor’s face showed signs of severe abuse and injury following a recent court session in Jerusalem.
Israeli forces arrested Abu Safia at Kamal Adwan Hospital on December 27, 2024, Al Jazeera reported. The arrest took place as Israel intensified military operations in northern Gaza, including around medical facilities, according to Al Jazeera.
Physicians for Human Rights Israel said Abu Safia’s condition deteriorated after he was transferred to the Rakefet section of Nitzan prison. The group said Odeh visited him on July 2 and recorded signs of assault, serious injuries, breathing difficulty and repeated loss of consciousness.
The rights group said guards brought Abu Safia to the meeting with his hands and feet shackled and with masked officers surrounding him. It said Odeh saw new bruising and wounds on Abu Safia’s head, near his eyes, ears and neck, and that the injuries made the doctor difficult for the lawyer to recognize.
Naji Abbas, who heads the Prisoners and Detainees Department at Physicians for Human Rights Israel, told the Palestinian news agency Wafa that the lawyer’s account raised urgent fears for Abu Safia’s life. Abbas said Abu Safia told his lawyer he believed he would be killed, according to Wafa.
Israeli authorities have not charged Abu Safia, according to Physicians for Human Rights Israel and Al Jazeera. They have classified him as an “unlawful combatant,” a designation Israel uses to detain Palestinians for extended periods without trial, Al Jazeera reported.
Physicians for Human Rights Israel has called for Abu Safia’s release and for the release of other Palestinian doctors held in Israeli prisons. In March, United Nations experts also urged Israel to free him immediately and provide medical treatment, according to Al Jazeera.
Abu Safia is among 14 Palestinian doctors from Gaza being held by Israel without charge, according to Physicians for Human Rights Israel. Al Jazeera reported that another of Abu Safia’s sons, Ibrahim, was killed by an Israeli drone strike at the entrance to Kamal Adwan Hospital two months before the doctor’s arrest.
Elyas Abu Safia also criticized Arab and Muslim leaders, accusing them of failing to speak out for his father and other detainees in Israeli prisons. His appeal came as the family and rights advocates sought renewed attention to Abu Safia’s case.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.