For the past year, Dr. Abu Safiya has been held under Israel’s Unlawful Combatants Law, which allows for indefinite detention without charge, trial, or access to due process.
On December 27, 2024, Palestinian pediatrician and hospital director Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya was detained by Israeli forces during a military raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip.
One year later, he remains imprisoned without charge or trial, a case that has come to symbolize the systematic targeting of Palestinian health workers amid Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.
Dr. Abu Safiya, a pediatrician and neonatologist, served as director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of the last partially functioning medical facilities in northern Gaza during the height of Israeli military operations.
Prior to his detention, he had repeatedly spoken about the catastrophic conditions inside the hospital, including shortages of fuel, electricity, medicines, and medical staff, while continuing to treat patients under siege.
Despite repeated opportunities to evacuate, Dr. Abu Safiya chose to remain with his patients and colleagues until Israeli forces stormed the hospital compound.
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Circumstances of Arrest
On December 27, 2024, Israeli forces raided Kamal Adwan Hospital, destroying parts of the facility and forcibly removing medical staff and patients. Dr. Abu Safiya was detained during the raid.
No evidence has been publicly presented to substantiate Israeli claims that he posed a security threat, nor has any formal indictment been issued against him.
Human rights groups have described the arrest as part of a broader pattern of targeting Palestinian medical personnel during military operations in Gaza.
For the past year, Dr. Abu Safiya has been held under Israel’s Unlawful Combatants Law, which allows for indefinite detention without charge, trial, or access to due process. His detention orders have been repeatedly renewed, including extensions reported in March and October 2025.
Neither his legal team nor his family has been informed of any concrete allegations against him.
Health and Human Rights Concerns
Reports from lawyers and rights organizations indicate that Dr. Abu Safiya’s health has significantly deteriorated in detention. He is said to have lost a substantial amount of weight and suffers from untreated medical conditions, including high blood pressure and cardiac issues.
Accounts also cite prolonged isolation, denial of adequate medical care, and harsh detention conditions.
These reports have raised serious concerns regarding violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, particularly protections afforded to medical personnel during armed conflict.
The one-year anniversary of Dr. Abu Safiya’s detention has prompted renewed calls for his immediate release. Medical associations, human rights organizations, and solidarity groups across Europe and beyond have organized protests, petitions, and public awareness campaigns highlighting his case and the broader detention of Palestinian health workers.
Dr. Abu Safiya is one of hundreds of Palestinian doctors, nurses, paramedics, and health workers detained by Israeli forces since October 2023. Many have been held without charge, interrogated, or subjected to abuse, contributing to the near-collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
