Hussam Abu Safia: Concerns Grow Over Detained Gaza Doctor’s Health
Lawyer says the Palestinian doctor’s condition has deteriorated in Israeli custody as calls for his release intensify.
Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu Safia remains at the center of international concern over his detention.
Hussam Abu Safia, a Palestinian paediatrician and former director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, is facing growing concern over his health after his lawyer said his condition had significantly deteriorated during detention in Israel.
According to his lawyer, Nasser Odeh, Abu Safia appeared physically weakened during a recent visit at an interrogation facility linked to Israel’s Nitzan Prison. Odeh said the doctor showed signs of severe physical decline and struggled to remain conscious during the meeting, raising fresh concerns about his wellbeing.
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Abu Safia came to international attention in December 2024 after Israeli forces detained him during an operation at Kamal Adwan Hospital following an extended military siege. Images of the doctor walking toward Israeli military vehicles after evacuating the hospital circulated widely on social media and drew international attention.
Israeli authorities have detained Abu Safia under the Unlawful Combatants Law, alleging he has links to Hamas. Israeli officials have maintained the detention is based on security considerations. Publicly available court documents have not disclosed evidence supporting the allegations, and no criminal indictment has been announced.
Human rights organizations and medical advocacy groups have repeatedly called for Abu Safia’s release, arguing that healthcare workers and medical facilities are protected under international humanitarian law. They have also expressed concern about the treatment of detained Palestinian medical personnel.
The case has become part of a broader international debate over the impact of the Gaza conflict on the healthcare system. Medical organizations report that numerous healthcare workers have been killed, injured, or detained since the war began, while hospitals have faced repeated damage and severe shortages of medicine, fuel, and medical supplies.
Israeli authorities have previously stated that military operations involving hospitals are conducted because they believe armed groups have used medical facilities for military purposes. Hamas has denied using hospitals as military command centers, and the issue remains the subject of international scrutiny and investigation.
The ongoing conflict has had a devastating humanitarian impact on civilians in Gaza, with international agencies continuing to warn of worsening conditions for hospitals, displaced families, and children as fighting and aid restrictions persist.
