Israel extends detention of Gaza hospital director without charge, as rights groups warn of worsening health and conditions.
Key Developments
- Israeli court extends detention of Gaza hospital director without filing charges.
- Rights group says detention now effectively indefinite under ‘Unlawful Combatants Law’.
- Doctor reportedly held in harsh conditions without medical care in Negev Prison.
- International rights organizations renew calls for his immediate release.
Detention Extended without Charge
An Israeli court on Tuesday extended the detention of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, without filing charges, according to Physicians for Human Rights Israel.
The Beersheba District Court approved the extension under Israel’s Unlawful Combatants Law and rejected a defense request for his immediate release.
The law allows authorities to detain Palestinians from Gaza for prolonged periods without trial.
According to the group, although a previous six-month extension had been issued in October 2025, authorities indicated that the latest decision effectively places his detention on an indefinite basis.
Dr. Abu Safiya Faces Death in Israeli Detention — But Action is Still Possible
Arrest During Hospital Raid
Dr. Abu Safiya, a pediatric consultant, was detained on December 27, 2024, when Israeli forces raided Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia.
He was taken at gunpoint during the raid, which resulted in the destruction of the facility and its removal from service.
Rights groups say he was detained while carrying out his medical duties amid the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system.
Physicians for Human Rights said in a statement that Abu Safiya is being held in Negev Prison under harsh conditions, without access to medication or adequate medical treatment, despite a reported deterioration in his health.
“The court upheld the detention despite arguments that detaining a doctor while performing his medical duties constitutes unlawful detention,” the group said.
International Calls for Release
Amnesty International has previously highlighted Abu Safiya’s case, noting that he continued treating patients even after losing his son in an Israeli airstrike.
The organization said he was detained “while caring for his patients and carrying out his medical duties,” describing his case as part of a broader pattern involving Palestinian healthcare workers.
‘Release Dr. Abu Safiya’: UN Experts Say Gaza Doctor Faces Severe Torture
Israeli, Palestinian, and international rights groups have repeatedly called for his immediate release.
The detention comes amid Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, launched in October 2023, which has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and injured over 172,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Despite a ceasefire in effect since October 2025, Israeli operations have continued through daily attacks and a sustained blockade, with hundreds killed and thousands injured in the intervening period.
Humanitarian conditions remain severe, with restrictions on the entry of food, medicine, and essential supplies affecting approximately 2.4 million Palestinians in the enclave.
(PC, Anadolu)
Israel is truly sick, corrupt and the most horrific country in the world. I am a refugee from nazi Germany, an anti-Zionist and am horrified by Israel’s distorted, lying, maniacal terrorism.
“Israel” so terrified by a medical doctor tending his patients … what a soulless, hardhearted regime. The “IDF” flees at Hamas but revels murdering mothers, children, and physicians. Zionism is Satanism.