In the absence of international pressure on the Israelis, there is no telling how long Dr. Abu Safiya’s torment will last.
AN Israeli occupation court has extended Dr Hussam Abu Safiya’s administrative detention indefinitely. Dr Abu Safiya was abducted from Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia on December 27, 2024, and has been subjected to humiliating treatment, abuse, and starvation over the nearly 500 days that he has been incarcerated in Israeli rape and torture dungeons without charge.
Dr Abu Safiya, who served as the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, refused to abandon his patients, even as the Israelis laid siege to the hospital for weeks, and eventually forced everyone to evacuate after a 30-hour operation during which they set fire to various parts of northern Gaza’s last functioning hospital. Before his abduction, Dr Abu Safiya was last seen walking into an Israeli tank to speak to soldiers inside.
Despite his disappearance, the Israelis continued to deny that they had abducted him. About a week later, the occupation forces released a statement stating that the doctor was “currently being investigated by Israeli security forces.”
The Israelis have accused Dr Abu Safiya of being connected to the Palestinian resistance but have yet to produce any evidence for their claims. However, that has not stopped the occupation’s kangaroo courts from repeatedly extending his stay in their dungeons, where his condition has continuously deteriorated in the absence of adequate medical care and proper food.
He was denied legal counsel until February 11, 2025. Last July, Dr Abu Safiya’s lawyer, Ghaid Qassem, met him in Ofer military prison and revealed that he was “not okay.”
“He has lost over 40 kilograms — more than one-third of his body weight. At the time of his arrest, he weighed 100 kg — today, he weighs no more than 60 kg,” Qassem said at the time.
“On June 24, 2025, he was severely beaten. His room (Room 1, Section 24 – Ofer Prison) was specifically raided. He was brutally assaulted in the chest area and sustained severe bruises to the face, head, back, and neck. The beating lasted approximately 30 minutes. Dr Hussam requested medical care, proper testing, and to be examined by a cardiologist — but his request was denied. He suffers from irregular heartbeat. His eyeglasses, which had recently been sent to him through his lawyer, were broken.”
Last month, United Nations Special Rapporteurs appealed for Dr Abu Safiya’s release. “We have received reports that Dr Abu Safiya has been subjected to torture and other cruel and degrading treatment, and that his health condition remains dire,” the UN experts said. “The conditions of his detention appear to be flagrantly arbitrary and manifestly inconsistent with the Mandela Rules, which establish the obligation of states to ensure prisoners have access to healthcare.”
The UN officials highlighted that Dr Abu Safiya had been denied critical medical care, thereby endangering his life. “He has been systematically denied critical medical examination and treatment, and deprived of essential care to such an extent that his life, health, and wellbeing have been gravely endangered,” they said.
The treatment of Dr Abu Safiya is part of Israel’s strategy of targeting of Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure and medical professionals during its genocidal assault on the enclave. In the course of their genocide, the Israelis have destroyed every single one of Gaza’s 38 hospitals at least once. Most of the hospitals remain out of service, while the few functioning are unable to provide adequate care to genocide survivors in the absence of necessary resources, as the Israelis continue to blockade the besieged enclave and severely restrict the entry of aid, medical supplies, and fuel.
Moreover, the Israelis have killed dozens of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. Dr Adnan al-Bursh, the head of orthopaedics at the Gaza Strip’s largest medical facility, Al-Shifa Hospital, was raped to death in an Israeli dungeon. His body has been withheld by the Israelis to this day.
Apart from Dr Abu Safiya, at least 13 doctors are in Israeli custody, along with dozens of nurses and paramedics, without charge.
Dr Abu Safiya has suffered immensely because of his steadfastness. His son, Ibrahim, was killed in an Israeli drone attack near Kamal Adwan Hospital. Due to the intense siege of the hospital at the time, he had to be hastily buried in the vicinity of the hospital, with an inconsolable Dr Abu Safiya leading the funeral prayer for his son.
Within days of the doctor’s abduction, his mother, Samiha, died of a heart attack. “Hussam’s 75-year-old mother, Samiha Abu Safiya, was happy to see us [for the first time in] 90 days,” Dr Abu Safiya’s wife, Albina, said at the time. “She asked us about Hussam; I told her not to worry, that he would come, but she was not reassured. She was suffering from illnesses, and the intense worry about Hussam caused her not to eat for three days. She died of a heart attack on Jan. 8, before she could see him again.”
The abhorrent treatment of Dr Abu Safiya is a microcosm of Israeli barbarism that sees every Palestinian as an enemy irrespective of their vocation. In the absence of international pressure on the Israelis, there is no telling how long Dr Abu Safiya’s torment will last.
