An international human rights organization says Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital who has been in Israeli custody since 2024, is facing a significant threat to his life.
Physicians for Human Rights stated on Saturday that its lawyer, Nasser Odeh, observed severe injuries, indications of physical mistreatment, respiratory issues, and recurrent instances of loss of consciousness during a visit to Abu Safiya at the Rakefet detention facility in Nitzan Prison on July 2, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported on Saturday.
During the meeting, Abu Safiya was brought in with his hands and feet shackled and was accompanied by masked prison guards, Odeh reported.
He showed new injuries and extensive bruising around his head, eyes, ears, and neck, with Odeh noting that his physical state had declined to such an extent that he was hard to recognize.
Physicians for Human Rights Israel reiterated its demand for the immediate release of Abu Safiya and other medical professionals abducted by Israeli forces and held captive without charges or trial.
Naji Abbas, the head of the Prisoners and Detainees Department at the organization, stated that the latest reports have raised urgent and serious concerns regarding Abu Safiya’s life.
He noted that the lawyer’s testimony was among the most distressing the organization has received since the onset of the Gaza genocide, highlighting that Abu Safiya expressed fears for his life while in detention.
Abbas further noted that Abu Safiya’s health worsened after he challenged his detention in court, asserting that these developments necessitate an immediate and impartial investigation.
He stressed that Israeli authorities bear full responsibility for the health, safety, and welfare of all detainees and called for prompt international intervention.
The Israeli military abducted Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, on December 27, 2024, after raiding the hospital, forcibly removing him at gunpoint, and rendering significant portions of the facility non-operational.
Abu Safiya sustained injuries on November 24, 2024, due to an Israeli airstrike aimed at the hospital; however, he chose to remain and provide care to patients, even after the loss of his son in a prior Israeli raid on October 26, 2024.
In February 2025, Israeli officials classified Abu Safiya as an “unlawful combatant” amidst allegations of torture and inadequate medical care. The Palestinian Prisoners Media Office reported on June 3, 2026, that he had been moved to solitary confinement.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the overall death toll from Israel’s genocidal war on the besieged coastal region since October 2023 has risen to 73,090, with 173,553 injured.
Since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025, Israeli forces have continued carrying out airstrikes, shootings and demolitions across Gaza.
Israel has expanded its control to around 70% of Gaza’s territory, confining Palestinians to less than 30% of the strip, according to local estimates.
The Israeli war on Gaza, launched on October 7, 2023, with US backing, has devastated nearly 90% of the region’s civilian infrastructure.
