The Gaza Ministry of Health has called for the immediate rescue of detained doctor Hussam Abu Safiya
Munir al-Bursh, Director General of the Gaza Ministry of Health, called for urgent action to save Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu Safiya, whom Israel has been holding in custody since December 2024. According to him, concerns about the pediatrician’s life and health are growing.
Al-Bursh reported that there have been reports of Abu Safiya being beaten in an Israeli detention facility. According to these reports, the doctor sustained injuries to his eye, head, and chest. The ministry head stated that the doctor’s continued detention and lack of medical care are causing extreme concern and require immediate action.
Hussam Abu Safiya was the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of the last medical facilities operating in northern Gaza. He led the facility during the 85-day siege, after which Israeli forces raided the hospital and detained him on December 27, 2024.
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According to Al Jazeera English, the doctor is being held without charges under Israel’s Unlawful Combatants Law, which allows for repeated extensions of his detention. In June, the Israeli Supreme Court rejected an appeal for his release.
Abu Safia’s lawyer, who visited him last month, reported new signs of beatings and torture. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, as well as the UN Commission of Inquiry, have warned that the doctor’s life is in imminent danger.
Al-Bursh held the Israeli authorities responsible for Abu Safiya’s life and safety and demanded that he undergo an urgent, independent, comprehensive medical examination and receive the necessary treatment. He also called for the release of Abu Safiya and other medical professionals being held by Israel, and appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross, the World Health Organization, the UN, and medical and human rights groups to take action.
