The lawyer of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a Gaza hospital director, says his client was severely beaten at the Rakefet interrogation centre and may be in danger of death.
Abu Safiya, who oversaw Kamal Adwan hospital in Gaza City, was detained on 19 December 2024 after Israeli forces detained medical staff and patients in the name of countering “Hamas terrorist strongholds”. His detained status has remained unchanged for over 18 months with no formal charges.
During a visit on Thursday, attorney Nasser Odeh reported that the doctor exhibited bruises over his face, around his eyes, neck, and ears, and that he had difficulty recognizing his own features. Odeh also said that the medical professional said he had “no medical treatment” and feared that someone had decided to kill him.
Israeli Prison Service spokespersons dismissed the allegations, stating the claims were unsubstantiated and “without factual basis”. They said all detainees receive medical care in line with the ministry of health guidelines “and are not denied treatment”.
The case has attracted international attention. Human‑rights groups such as Amnesty International and Physicians for Human Rights Israel have called the detention arbitrary and urged an immediate release. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared Abu Safiya’s detention arbitrary, citing it as a possible flag of widespread systemic abuse.
Israel’s Supreme Court, under a petition filed by PHRI in April 2025, is scheduled to answer the court by Tuesday with a decision on the release of Abu Safiya and 13 other Palestinian doctors held without charge.
