After more than 18 months, the family of Gaza doctor Hussam Abu Safiya has not seen him. The 52-year-old pediatrician and hospital director has been in Israeli custody since December 2024 without any formal charges, causing concern among human rights groups, colleagues, and his family who fear for his well-being.
Recently, Abu Safiya appeared in a Jerusalem court hearing via video link looking visibly frail and significantly thinner, alarming his family. According to his sister, Samahir Abu Safiya, the family was shocked by his deteriorating condition, expressing deep concerns about his health.
Abu Safiya is one of 14 doctors from Gaza detained by Israel for over a year without trial, as reported by Physicians for Human Rights Israel. Various international bodies, including the United Nations and Amnesty International, have called for his immediate release, along with other healthcare workers held arbitrarily.
During a visit to Abu Safiya in early July, his lawyer reported that he had been subjected to daily beatings at an underground detention facility in central Israel. Abu Safiya displayed visible signs of abuse, including bruises and torture marks, and expressed fears for his life, stating, “This is the last time you’ll see me … they brought me here to kill me.”
Despite widespread calls for his release, Israel’s Supreme Court rejected an appeal to release him last month, citing confidential materials under a law allowing indefinite detention of so-called unlawful combatants. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have accused Abu Safiya of being affiliated with Hamas, a claim refuted by Gaza’s Health Ministry and Hamas.
Abu Safiya’s son Elias has raised concerns about his father’s deteriorating health, particularly after sustaining a head injury. The family and human rights organizations continue to advocate for Abu Safiya’s release, emphasizing the urgent need for global solidarity to address the plight of detained healthcare workers in Gaza.
