Gaza Herald – Medical personnel in Gaza staged a solidarity protest in the courtyard of Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City, expressing support for fellow doctors, nurses, and paramedics currently held in Israeli detention camps amid escalating violations since the outbreak of the genocide in October 2023.
Dozens of healthcare workers took part in the demonstration, wearing white uniforms as a symbolic affirmation of their humanitarian mission, despite ongoing risks and direct targeting of the medical sector.
The protest coincided with Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, with participants stressing that the detention of medical workers constitutes a “compound crime,” as it targets a group protected under international law while simultaneously weakening Gaza’s already strained healthcare system.
As part of the protest, participants inscribed the number “362” on the ground, representing the number of medical personnel detained during the war. Ambulances were also used to display photos of detainees along with their names and dates of arrest, accompanied by banners highlighting violations such as medical neglect and the denial of basic rights.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health warned that the continued detention of 83 medical workers amounts to a severe violation of the right to life and breaches international conventions. Officials stated that the targeting of healthcare workers goes beyond arbitrary detention and reflects a systematic effort to undermine their humanitarian role.
According to the ministry, Israeli forces have killed more than 1,700 medical personnel since the start of the genocide, kidnapped 362 others, and continue to hold 83 in custody. It also reported that many detainees face enforced disappearance, with no information provided for their whereabouts or conditions.
Officials further noted that approximately 9,600 Palestinians remain in Israeli prisons, including a large number of administrative detainees, while 326 detainees have died as a result of torture and ill-treatment, including 52 from Gaza.
Participants in the protest called on international organizations, particularly the International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Health Organization, to intervene, ensure transparency regarding detainees’ conditions, and guarantee access to medical care.
Former detainees who took part in the event said that imprisoned medical workers are subjected to abuse and torture, stressing that their detention contradicts international humanitarian law. They emphasized that the protest is part of ongoing efforts to keep the issue visible and to push for the immediate release of detained healthcare personnel.
