Detained Gaza doctor reports continued abuse in Israel
Rights group says Hussam Abu Safiya remains detained amid allegations of beatings, torture and severe mistreatment
GAZA, Palestine (MNTV) — Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu Safiya has reported continued beatings and other forms of abuse while being held in Israeli detention, according to an Israeli human rights organization.
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel raised renewed concerns over Abu Safiya’s treatment, saying information provided by his lawyer points to ongoing physical and psychological abuse while he remains in Israeli custody.
Abu Safiya, the former director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, was seized by Israeli forces in December 2024 and has remained detained for more than a year and a half without being charged in a public trial.
His case has drawn condemnation from Palestinian, Israeli and international rights organizations.
The rights group has warned that the doctor’s condition remains extremely serious. Previous reports from his lawyer and family described signs consistent with torture and severe deterioration in his health, raising fears for his life.
Abu Safiya appeared by video before Israel’s Supreme Court in June, with footage showing him shackled during the hearing. His lawyers and supporters have repeatedly demanded his release and challenged the legal basis for his continued detention.
The doctor’s detention has become emblematic of wider allegations concerning Israel’s inhumane treatment of Palestinian medical workers.
Rights organizations say health professionals from Gaza have been detained without adequate legal protections and subjected to harsh interrogation and degrading conditions.
Amnesty International has also called for Abu Safiya’s immediate release, citing reports of torture and other ill-treatment and warning that his life could be in grave danger.
UN experts separately urged Israel to release Abu Safiya and other detained Palestinian health workers, describing their detention as arbitrary and warning against treating the practice of medicine as a crime.
The continuing allegations have intensified criticism of Israel’s detention practices and raised questions over its obligations toward Palestinian medical personnel held during the Gaza genocide.
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