Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, is reportedly suffering from severe medical neglect and life-threatening conditions in Israeli detention, according to his lawyer Ghaid Qassem.

Abu Safiya, a prominent pediatrician and hospital administrator, was abducted by Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip on December 27, 2024. Since then, he has been held in harsh conditions in Ofer prison, where his health has rapidly deteriorated due to alleged torture and the denial of adequate medical care.

In a statement shared on social media, Qassem revealed that during her visit to Abu Safiya on July 9, 2025, she observed an alarming weight loss of more than 40 kilograms. "His weight has dropped from 100 kg to under 60 kg," she stated, attributing the drastic change to prolonged maltreatment and inadequate nutrition.

According to Qassem, Dr. Abu Safiya was subjected to a brutal assault by Israeli prison guards on June 24. The beating, which lasted over 30 minutes, left him with severe bruises and injuries across his chest, face, head, back, and neck. "He continues to endure harsh solitary confinement conditions underground, cut off from natural light and forced to wear winter clothing in the stifling summer heat," she added.

Qassem also reported that repeated urgent requests for medical attention—including comprehensive examinations and assessment by a cardiologist—have been systematically denied by prison authorities, despite Abu Safiya's known history of irregular heart rhythms and chronic hypertension. His eyeglasses, prescribed recently due to vision problems, have also been broken and not replaced.

“These conditions constitute deliberate medical negligence and psychological torture,” Qassem warned, calling on international human rights organizations to intervene immediately to save Abu Safiya’s life.

The continued detention of medical professionals from Gaza has sparked growing concern among humanitarian and legal groups, particularly as reports of abuse and neglect in Israeli prisons increase. Rights organizations have long documented patterns of mistreatment of Palestinian detainees, including torture, solitary confinement, and denial of essential healthcare.

Dr. Abu Safiya’s arrest came amid intensified Israeli raids on Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure, during which hospitals, ambulances, and medical personnel have frequently been targeted or detained. Kamal Adwan Hospital, where he served as director, was one of several medical facilities raided during the early months of the Israeli military’s ongoing assault on Gaza.

Legal advocates have called on international bodies to urgently address the conditions of Palestinian detainees, especially vulnerable individuals such as doctors and patients held without trial. (ILKHA)