&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Who is Dr Hussam Abu Safiyah? Gaza hospital director held by Israel for over 550 days without charge")
On December 27, 2024, the Israeli Defence Force arrested Dr Hussam Abu Safiyah, from the Kamal Adwan Hospital, the last functioning hospital in North Gaza at that moment. He had been held in detention by Israel for approximately 551 days, without charge under the “Unlawful Combatants Law”. The Israeli High Court denied appeals filed by Dr Hussam Abu Safiya's lawyer against the extension of his detention. He appeared before the court on June 10, 2026, via video, demanding his immediate release.
“I am a paediatrician who provides medical services and care to patients, the wounded and vulnerable people in the Gaza Strip,” said Abu Safiyah to the court through the defence lawyer. "My detention is unjust and arbitrary, and I demand my immediate release.”
Samahir Abu Safiyah, the sister of Dr Abu Safiyah, told Drop Site News that he was noticeably thinner, lost half of his weight, had bruises on his hands, suffered from deteriorating eyesight, contracted scabies while in detention, and remained in solitary confinement in Nafah Prison.
“He has committed no crime,” Samahir said. “His only crime was staying in the hospital for the sake of the children, the injured, and the wounded. The whole world must stand with him.”
Who is Dr Hussam Abu Safiyah?
Dr Hussam Abu Safiyah, 51, was a prominent figure in the Gaza healthcare system. He was born in the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. His family was displaced in 1948 from Hamama in the Ashkelon district of Palestine. He had been warned by the Israelis to leave the Kamal Adwan Hospital following the devastating blockade by Israeli since October 2023. At first, he was briefly arrested by Israelis in a raid on the hospital in October and then left. The detained 44 other members of the health care facility. His son Ibrahim was in a drone strike at the gate of the hospital. He left a funeral prayer for his son at the courtyard of the hospital and accused them of killing him for remaining undeterred by their threat. He kept informing the international community about the crimes committed by the Israeli army. On December 27, 2024, the Israeli army seized Abu Safiah under “Unlawful Combatant Law” legislation, enacted in 2002, which allows indefinite detention without formal charges and strips prisoners of protections under the Geneva Conventions.
