Urgent Action - Release Paediatrician and Hospital Director: Dr Hussam Abu Safiya

On 27 December 2024, the Israeli military raided Kamal Adwan hospital in Mashrou’ Beit Lahiya and arbitrarily detained its director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. Since then, he has been held without charges or trial, under orders that have been indefinitely renewed based on the Unlawful Combatants Law.

On 16 June 2026 Israel’s Supreme Court upheld the latest detention order against him, which would keep him in detention until at least October. Since 3 June, Dr. Abu Safiya has been held in solitary confinement while continuing to be denied access to adequate healthcare. Israeli authorities must immediately release him. Pending his release, they must ensure his protection from torture and other ill-treatment and provide him with adequate healthcare.

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Dear Maj. Gen. Itai Ofir I am writing to you to reiterate my demand for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, a 53-year-old paediatrician and the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the occupied Gaza Strip, who was arbitrarily detained and forcibly disappeared by Israeli forces on 27 December 2024, along with other staff and patients. On 16 June 2026 Israel’s Supreme Court rejected Dr. Abu Safiya’s appeal, upholding the continuation of his arbitrary detention until at least October 2026. Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya has been held in solitary confinement since 3 June, exceeding the 15 consecutive days permitted under the Nelson Mandela Rules, which violates the prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment. Authorities are also denying him appropriate care for his health conditions. Prior to his arbitrary arrest, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya was one of the most prominent voices of Gaza’s decimated healthcare sector. Testimonies collected by Amnesty International and other human rights groups reveal a dreadful reality inside Israeli prisons and detention centres, where Palestinian detainees, including health workers, face systematic torture and other ill-treatment and are denied their right to a fair trial and due process, along with access to adequate food and medical care. In light of this grave situation, I urge you to secure the immediate release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and all other Palestinians, including health workers, arbitrarily detained by Israel. Pending Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya’s release, I urge you to ensure his protection from all forms of torture and other ill-treatment, including prolonged solitary confinement, and expedite his access to adequate medical care while in detention. Yours sincerely,
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Urgent Action – Release Paediatrician and Hospital Director: Dr Hussam Abu Safiya

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