Independent Israeli professor says Hussam Abu Safiya’s life will be at risk until he receives proper medical treatment
An independent professor who reviewed the medical records of a prominent Gaza doctor held in an Israeli prison without charge for nearly 23 months has raised serious concerns about his health.
Hussam Abu Safiya was detained at work on 27 December 2024 and later held in solitary confinement at Rakefet, a notorious underground prison.
During a visit by a lawyer from Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) in the summer, the doctor told of harsh conditions, untreated medical problems and severe food shortages. Witnesses said he had become almost unrecognisable.
Nearly 700 days after his arrest, Israeli authorities have yet to bring any formal charges against Abu Safiya, who is the director of Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza.
He was classified as an “unlawful combatant” along with more than 375 medical workers – a designation Israel has used to justify prolonged detention without trial.
Last month, Israel’s supreme court rejected a petition to release the doctor.
