Lawyer says detained Gaza doctor in critical condition, facing abuse

The lawyer for Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Gaza's Kamal Adwan Hospital, has warned that his client is in critical condition and has faced abuse while in Israeli detention for the past 18 months. Abu Safiya was arrested in December 2024. During a visit on July 2, his lawyer, Nasser Odeh, observed that Abu Safiya appeared extremely weak, struggled to sit upright, and had recent head injuries around his eyes, ears, and neck, along with difficulty breathing.

Physicians for Human Rights Israel, the group representing Abu Safiya, stated that he has faced physical and psychological abuse and was kept in solitary confinement for extended periods. The group and Odeh have petitioned for Abu Safiya to be transferred to another facility and for an urgent judicial visit to assess his condition. Abu Safiya has not been formally charged since his arrest and is being held under Israel's "Unlawful Combatant Law," which allows for indefinite detention without charge.

During a video appearance before Israel's Supreme Court last month, Abu Safiya appeared pale and gaunt with lash-like marks on his arms. Israel's Prison Service has called the allegations of abuse, torture, starvation, or denial of medical treatment "false and entirely without factual basis," citing privacy concerns but stating all detainees are held lawfully and receive medical care. Human rights organizations and the United Nations have alleged systematic patterns of abuse against Palestinian prisoners and detainees since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, during which the number of Palestinians in Israeli detention has surged.