Overview
- Physicians for Human Rights Israel and Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya’s lawyer say a July 2 visit found fresh head and neck wounds, severe breathing problems and repeated loss of consciousness, and they warn his life is in immediate danger.
- Lawyer Nasser Odeh reported Abu Safiya was shackled and escorted by masked guards during the visit and that the doctor told him, “This is the last time you will see me,” which PHRI cites as evidence of imminent risk.
- Israeli authorities classify Abu Safiya under the Unlawful Combatants/administrative detention regime and say detainees receive medical care, while the Israel Prison Service has rejected the abuse allegations as false.
- Abu Safiya was seized on December 27, 2024 after the siege of Kamal Adwan Hospital and has never been charged, making his case one of about 14 Gazan doctors held without indictment; his June 24 move to the underground Rakefet facility preceded the recent decline.
- Rights groups, the doctor’s family and UN experts are calling for immediate transfer, independent international monitoring or release, a step that could trigger legal reviews and wider scrutiny of Israel’s use of secret evidence in administrative detentions.