Gaza Herald _ The plight of Palestinian medical workers under Israeli detention is drawing renewed alarm, as human rights groups warn that Israel’s prison system is deliberately endangering their lives. At the center of these warnings is Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, whose health has drastically deteriorated since his arrest.
Physicians for Human Rights–Israel (PHR-I) reported that one of its attorneys recently visited Abu Safia at Ofer Prison, near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, documenting conditions that amount to inhumane treatment. According to the group, Abu Safia has lost nearly 25 kilograms (55 pounds), suffers from untreated scabies, and faces a dangerous overall decline in his health.
The rights group emphasized that despite his history of heart disease and high blood pressure, Abu Safia has been denied proper medical treatment. He has not appeared before a judge since March, has not been interrogated, and has never been formally told the charges against him. Instead, he remains held under conditions of neglect and violence.
PHR-I said Abu Safia is subjected to physical abuse, ill-treatment, and repeated denial of basic medical care. Reports from Ofer Prison indicate food shortages, lack of clean clothing, and repeated assaults by prison guards.
The case of Abu Safia highlights a broader pattern. More than 100 doctors, nurses, and paramedics from Gaza have been detained by Israel since the war on the enclave began in October 2023, most without charges. Rights advocates describe these arrests as a blatant violation of international law and an assault on the Palestinian health system itself.
For Palestinians, Abu Safia’s ordeal is emblematic of the wider attempt to silence, weaken, and punish those who remain on the front lines of care in Gaza. By detaining medical workers under life-threatening conditions, Israel is not only targeting individuals but also crippling Gaza’s already devastated health infrastructure.
Human rights defenders are calling for urgent international pressure to secure Abu Safia’s release and to hold Israel accountable for its treatment of detained Palestinian medical staff. His struggle, they warn, is not only about one man’s survival but about the survival of Gaza’s healthcare system under siege.
