Fresh concerns raised over Gaza doctor held by Israel for 23 months without charge
An independent Israeli professor has raised serious health concerns about Hussam Abu Safiya, a Gaza doctor detained by Israel for nearly 23 months without formal charges.
Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza, has been detained by Israeli authorities since December 27, 2024, without facing formal charges. Classified as an "unlawful combatant" along with more than 375 medical workers, Abu Safiya has been held in solitary confinement at Rakefet, a notorious underground prison, for nearly 700 days.
Health Deterioration
During a summer visit by a lawyer from Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI), Abu Safiya reported harsh conditions, untreated medical problems, and severe food shortages. According to Prof. Amit Tirosh, who reviewed the doctor's medical records, Abu Safiya's weight had dropped dramatically from 90kg in January 2025 to 76kg by May 2026.
Continuous food deprivation and weight loss, repeated beatings and injuries, with inadequate medical care, can definitely cost Dr Abu Safiya his life.
Medical Concerns
Tirosh identified insufficient investigation of chest pain, delays in treating scabies, and a drop in hemoglobin levels that warranted further examination. Medical records documented bruising around one of Abu Safiya's eyes, dizziness, and rib pain in July, which the doctor attributed to beatings by prison guards.
The specialist noted that a 14kg weight loss is "very alarming," particularly when the cause remains unknown. The hemoglobin drop coincided with reported beatings in Rakefet and "can be life-threatening and requires urgent ER evaluation," according to Tirosh.
Legal Battles
Last month, Israel's supreme court rejected a petition to release Abu Safiya. Over the weekend, a district court rejected a separate petition to allow an independent medical examination, despite troubling findings in his records. Israeli authorities alleged that Abu Safiya had exaggerated his medical problems and maintained international contacts.
PHRI rejected these allegations, stating they do not justify denying the doctor an independent medical examination, a right protected by law. "The bottom line is that a third party should see him and the full medical records," Tirosh emphasized.
Broader Context
Abu Safiya had become the face of health workers struggling to treat patients throughout the war in Gaza before his detention. At the time of his arrest, he was wearing a white medical coat he had refused to wash since his son, Ibrahim, was killed by a drone strike at the hospital entrance in October 2024.
Fourteen Palestinian doctors, including hospital directors and specialists, remain imprisoned without charge or trial at a time when Gaza's healthcare system desperately needs them. Abu Safiya's family has not been able to communicate with him directly in detention.
An Israeli prison service spokesperson told The Guardian the allegations are "part of a broader campaign aimed at discrediting the state of Israel" and that the service "operates in accordance with the law and under constant judicial oversight."
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