Key facts
- Prominent Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu Safiya has been moved to solitary confinement in an Israeli prison.
- He has been held for over 17 months without formal charges since his detention on December 27, 2024.
- His son reported harsh detention conditions, including a small cell and lack of medical treatment.
- Abu Safiya is classified as an 'unlawful combatant' under Israeli law.
- A lawyer has filed an appeal for his release, citing legal proceedings under a gag order.
- He is among 14 Palestinian doctors from Gaza detained by Israel without charge.
Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza, has been transferred to solitary confinement in an Israeli maximum-security prison after being held for over 17 months without formal charges. His son, Elyas Abu Safiya, expressed deep concern for his father's wellbeing, citing harsh detention conditions, untreated medical problems, and severe food shortages.
Abu Safiya was detained at his workplace on December 27, 2024. Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) reported that he was moved from Ketziot prison to Ramon prison and placed in solitary confinement without explanation. During a lawyer's visit, Abu Safiya described being held in an extremely small cell, barely large enough to move or sit, and suffering from skin diseases due to lack of treatment and inability to change clothes.
His son stated that his father requires surgery for shrapnel lodged in his thigh from the time of his detention and continues to experience pain and swelling. Abu Safiya has been classified as an 'unlawful combatant,' a designation Israel uses for prolonged detention without trial. His lawyer has filed an appeal for his release, noting that legal proceedings are subject to a gag order.
In March, UN experts called for Abu Safiya's immediate release and access to medical care. He is one of 14 Palestinian doctors from Gaza currently detained by Israel without charge. PHRI has filed a petition with the Israeli high court seeking their release. Other doctors detained for over two years without charge reported deteriorating conditions, including being forced to remain on metal beds or the floor for extended periods and frequent use of teargas.