UN inquiry calls for Israel to free detained Gaza hospital director
A UN commission said Dr. Hussam Abu Safia has been held without charge and faces credible reports of severe abuse in Israeli custody.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
A United Nations inquiry has urged Israel to immediately release Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, the detained director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza. The appeal adds pressure over Israel’s detention of Palestinian medical workers and allegations of abuse in custody.
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory said Wednesday that Abu Safia, 52, has been jailed for more than 18 months without charge. The commission said there are credible reports that he has suffered continued and severe abuse while held by Israel.
In a statement, the commission called for the “immediate, unconditional and safe release” of Abu Safia and all medical personnel it said are being arbitrarily detained by Israel. It also urged Israeli authorities to give Abu Safia immediate access to independent medical care.
Lawyer and rights group warn of his condition
Abu Safia’s lawyer, Nasser Odeh, has said the doctor’s health is in grave danger and that he faces daily abuse, according to Al Jazeera. Rights groups and Abu Safia’s family have said he shows signs of regular torture, Al Jazeera reported.
Physicians for Human Rights Israel said Odeh found Abu Safia so badly wounded during a recent visit that he had difficulty recognizing him. Al Jazeera also reported that footage from an Israeli court appearance by videolink last month showed Abu Safia looking visibly thinner in his face and abdomen.
Israeli authorities detained Abu Safia in December 2024 along with other medical staff and patients, according to Al Jazeera. They classified him as an “unlawful combatant,” a designation Israel has used to hold Palestinians for long periods without trial, Al Jazeera reported.
The commission said the reported treatment of Abu Safia matched a wider pattern it had documented in earlier reports. It said the conduct of Israeli Prison Service guards toward Palestinian detainees raised grave concerns about violations of international law that likely amount to international crimes, and said Abu Safia’s condition was the result of those actions.
Israel rejects allegations
Reuters reported that an Israel Prison Service spokesperson rejected the commission’s claims as “false, outrageous, and entirely without factual basis.” Reuters said the spokesperson did not refer specifically to Abu Safia.
Al Jazeera reported that the Israel Prison Service has previously denied allegations that Abu Safia or other doctors were mistreated in prison.
The commission’s latest appeal follows action by another UN body. On Monday, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called Abu Safia’s detention arbitrary and demanded his immediate release, according to Al Jazeera.
The working group said Israel’s actions violated multiple articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Al Jazeera reported.
Al Jazeera reported that Abu Safia is one of 14 Palestinian doctors from Gaza currently held by Israel without charge. Before his detention, Abu Safia was a prominent public voice on the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system and kept working after one of his sons was killed in an Israeli drone attack, according to Al Jazeera.
In September 2025, the UN inquiry commission said Israeli authorities had committed genocide by targeting Gaza’s healthcare system and medical professionals since October 2023. Israel’s response to that specific finding was not included in the commission’s latest statement as reported by Al Jazeera and Reuters.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.