GazaHerald – The Palestine Center for Prisoners Studies has accused Israel of waging a systematic campaign against Gaza’s health sector, revealing that more than 360 medical workers have been detained since the war erupted on October 7, 2023. At least four have died in Israeli custody due to torture and medical neglect, the group said.
Among those currently imprisoned are senior medical figures: Dr. Hossam Abu Safia, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital; Dr. Mohammad Obeid, head of reconstructive and orthopedic surgery; and Dr. Mohammad Zahir, also from Kamal Adwan. Their detention, the Center noted, is part of a broader strategy aimed at dismantling Gaza’s ability to provide basic healthcare.
Israeli forces have stormed major hospitals, including Al-Shifa, Kamal Adwan, Indonesian, Al-Awda, and Nasser, arresting staff and patients and even clearing out departments. Paramedics transporting the wounded were also detained mid-mission.
Four healthcare workers have already lost their lives in custody: Dr. Adnan Ahmed Al-Bursh, one of Gaza’s leading orthopedic surgeons; Dr. Iyad Al-Rantisi, head of obstetrics; paramedic Hamdan Hassan Enaya; and nurse Ziad Mohammad Al-Dalu.
The Center said these arrests flagrantly violate international humanitarian law, which grants special protections to medical workers in conflict zones. It urged urgent intervention from international organizations such as the WHO and Doctors Without Borders.
Systematic targeting of health sector
But rights advocates argue the targeting of Gaza’s health professionals is not accidental. “This is a deliberate strategy to break the backbone of Palestinian society,” the report noted, linking the assault on healthcare to a broader campaign against Gaza’s education, infrastructure, and civil leadership.
Dozens of doctors, nurses, and paramedics have already been killed in Israeli strikes on hospitals, ambulances, and medical convoys. Each death, the group stressed, represents not just a number but a silenced voice, a grieving family, and patients left untreated.
The Center concluded that the systematic destruction of Gaza’s health sector is part of a larger project to render life in the territory unsustainable, paving the way for mass displacement and the erasure of Palestinian society itself.
