Rights groups condemn Israel’s detention of Palestinian healthcare workers
Human-rights monitors demand release of three detained doctors and warn of alleged torture, medical neglect and criminalization of legitimate advocacy
RAMALLAH, Palestine (MNTV) — Human-rights organizations have condemned Israel’s continued detention of Palestinian healthcare professionals, raising serious concerns about alleged torture, mistreatment and the use of criminal charges against medical workers and advocates operating in the occupied Palestinian territory.
According to the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), their Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders has called for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr Dima Amin, Dr Hussam Abu Safiya and Dr Mazen Al-Rantisi.
The organizations describe their cases as part of a broader pattern of targeting Palestinian healthcare workers.
Amin, a 55-year-old obstetrician-gynaecologist who has provided reproductive and maternal healthcare to Palestinian women, was arrested during a night raid on her home in Ramallah on August 18, according to the organizations.
She reportedly suffered a medical emergency during her transfer, underwent hospital examinations and was returned to interrogation after her condition stabilized.
The Israeli military prosecution subsequently charged her with incitement and support for terrorist organizations, citing social media posts denouncing human rights violations in Palestine.
The Observatory argues that prosecuting her for such expression risks criminalizing legitimate human rights advocacy. It also reported that Amin was held in solitary confinement in a windowless cell under poor detention conditions.
Another case concerns Abu Safiya, a pediatrician who led Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. Israeli forces arrested him on December 27, 2024, after entering the hospital he had refused to evacuate. He has remained detained without trial under Israel’s Unlawful Combatants Law, according to the organizations.
The Observatory says Abu Safiya has suffered beatings, electric shocks and denial of medical care despite a heart condition. UN experts reportedly warned in March 2026 that the alleged torture had placed his health and life in serious danger.
Al-Rantisi, a 71-year-old physician associated with the Union of Health Work Committees, was arrested during a pre-dawn raid in the occupied West Bank in June.
The organizations say he has faced ill-treatment, food deprivation, and medical neglect, while his family has expressed concern about his chronic illnesses and access to medication.
Healthcare Workers Watch reported that 446 Palestinian healthcare workers had been detained or gone missing since October 2023. As of April 17, 2026, 83 were confirmed to remain in Israeli detention, including 75 from Gaza, while six had reportedly died in custody.
The Observatory argues that these cases raise grave questions about Israel’s obligations as an occupying power to protect medical personnel and maintain healthcare services.
International humanitarian law requires the protection of civilian medical staff and their ability to carry out their duties.
The organizations are urging Israeli authorities to release the three doctors and end practices they say place healthcare professionals at risk for providing medical care, documenting abuses or defending Palestinian rights.
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