Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, has been detained by Israeli authorities since December 27, 2024, when forces stormed the facility. His lawyer reported in early July 2025 that he had been subjected to assault and beatings during his detention.
Amnesty International called for his immediate release, citing the abuse allegations and the fact that he has been held without formal charges or trial. Israeli authorities did not permit Dr. Abu Safiya to meet with a lawyer until February 11, 2025—more than six weeks after his arrest.
During a visit to Ofer military prison in early July, Dr. Abu Safiya's lawyer observed significant weight loss and reported that the Israeli Prison Service imposes severe restrictions on Palestinian detainees' access to food, medical care and hygiene.
Dr. Abu Safiya, a 53-year-old pediatrician, was arrested along with other medical staff and patients when Israeli forces entered Kamal Adwan Hospital. At the time, it was the last functioning medical facility in North Gaza. He continued managing the hospital and treating children even after his own son died in an Israeli airstrike.
Israeli authorities have held Dr. Abu Safiya under the country's Unlawful Combatants' Law. Amnesty International said the law enables arbitrary detention without due process.
Amnesty International described the detention as part of a systematic targeting of Palestinian health workers that has contributed to the collapse of Gaza's healthcare system. The organization renewed its demand for the release of Dr. Abu Safiya and other arbitrarily detained Palestinian medical staff.
