Overview
- Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, has been held without charge in Israel since his arrest in late December 2024 and rights groups say his condition is now life-threatening.
- Physicians for Human Rights Israel and Abu Safiya’s lawyer reported that a July 2 visit documented fresh head and neck injuries, severe breathing problems, repeated loss of consciousness, shackling and signs of daily beatings.
- The U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on Monday declared his detention arbitrary and called for his immediate release and reparations, citing violations of international human rights law.
- Israeli authorities and the Israel Prison Service reject claims of abuse and say detainees receive medical care, while courts have denied past appeals on the basis of confidential security material.
- Abu Safiya’s case is part of a broader pattern of at least a dozen Gaza medical staff held without charge under Israel’s Unlawful Combatants/administrative detention rules, prompting sustained calls for independent inspections and judicial review.