Key facts
- Israel's Supreme Court ordered the government to respond by Tuesday to a petition concerning 14 Gaza doctors.
- The petition was filed by Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) in late April.
- The government had repeatedly sought and received extensions to respond.
- Concerns include the deteriorating health of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, who alleges mistreatment in custody.
- Dr. Abu Safiya's legal team reported he is unrecognisable due to injuries.
The Israeli Supreme Court has ordered the government to submit a response by next Tuesday to a petition filed by Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) demanding the release of 14 doctors from Gaza. The government had repeatedly requested postponements to respond to the petition, which was filed in late April.
PHRI's concerns include the deteriorating health of Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu Safiya, who has been held without charge since 2024. His lawyers report that he has suffered repeated beatings in Israeli custody and faces life-threatening conditions. During his last meeting with his lawyer, Abu Safiya reportedly stated, "This is the last time you will see me... They brought me here to kill me... I don't see myself alive... This is the end." His legal team noted that the extent of his injuries has left him unrecognisable.
In a separate but related development, the Supreme Court recently allowed aid groups facing a government ban to continue working in Gaza and the West Bank until a final decision is reached, freezing a government ban on 37 foreign NGOs. This ruling came in response to a petition from more than a dozen NGOs, including Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam, who had refused to provide lists of their Palestinian staff to Israeli authorities.