Rights Group Warns Gaza Doctor Abu Safiya’s Life at Risk in “Israeli” Detention

By Staff, Agencies

A Palestinian rights organization has warned that detained Gaza physician Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya faces an imminent threat to his life after enduring severe torture and abuse in “Israeli” detention, calling for urgent international legal intervention.

Dr. Abu Safiya, 52, served as director of Gaza's Kamal Adwan Hospital before he was detained by “Israeli” occupation forces alongside medical staff and patients in December 2024. He has been held without charge for more than 18 months under the designation of an "unlawful combatant."

Helmi al-Araj, director of the Center for Defending Freedoms, said Dr. Abu Safiya has been subjected to severe beatings, torture, abuse, and prolonged solitary confinement while in custody.

Al-Araj accused “Israeli” authorities of deliberately targeting and systematically mistreating the prominent physician, whose detention has drawn increasing international attention and prompted widespread advocacy campaigns demanding his release.

He stressed that Dr. Abu Safiya's case reflects a broader pattern, warning that all Palestinian detainees held in “Israeli” prisons face serious risks amid documented evidence and testimonies alleging widespread and systematic torture.

The Center for Defending Freedoms called on the international community and human rights organizations to initiate legal proceedings before international courts to hold “Israeli” authorities accountable for their treatment of Dr. Abu Safiya and other Palestinian prisoners.

Separately, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory called on Wednesday for the immediate, unconditional, and safe release of Dr. Abu Safiya and all medical personnel arbitrarily detained by the “Israeli” occupation.

The commission also demanded that independent medical teams be granted immediate access to examine Dr. Abu Safiya, warning that his condition has continued to deteriorate while in detention.

The UN body linked his treatment to findings in its previous investigations, stating that the conduct of the “Israeli” Prison Service toward Palestinian detainees may constitute international crimes and holding “Israeli” authorities directly responsible for the physician's worsening health.