Gaza Herald – Amnesty International has condemned Israel’s ongoing detention of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the former director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, who has been held without charge or trial since December 2024.
The prominent pediatrician, once listed among those to be freed in the recent prisoner exchange, was suddenly removed from the release list by Israeli authorities, Amnesty confirmed.
According to the organization, Dr. Abu Safiya has been tortured, starved, and denied medical care, leaving him emaciated and suffering from untreated scabies.
Despite his deteriorating health, an Israeli court is set to extend his unlawful detention for another six months in a hearing on Thursday, a move Amnesty called “a blatant act of repression and cruelty.”
Human rights advocates say his case exemplifies Israel’s systematic persecution of Gaza’s medical professionals, part of its broader genocidal campaign that has targeted hospitals, doctors, and healthcare infrastructure.
Amnesty demanded his immediate and unconditional release, stressing that “the continued imprisonment of doctors who saved lives during the genocide is an assault on humanity itself.”
