DaysofPal- A United Nations human rights body has called for the immediate release of Palestinian physician Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, warning that his continued detention by Israel is arbitrary and that his life is in imminent danger as reports emerge of severe deterioration in his health.
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Israel’s detention of Abu Safia violates multiple provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
“The appropriate remedy would be to release [him] immediately and accord him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law,” the Working Group said in its findings.
The UN body further noted that Abu Safia’s case is not an isolated incident, stating that it is among a number of cases it has examined that “may indicate a widespread or systematic practice of arbitrary detention” by Israel.
The warning comes as Abu Safia’s lawyer, Nasser Odeh, said the physician’s health is in critical condition after enduring daily abuse while in Israeli custody.
According to his lawyer, Abu Safia has been subjected to brutal mistreatment daily, while his family and human rights organizations say he bears visible signs of repeated torture.
Israeli authorities have rejected previous allegations that Abu Safia and other detained medical personnel have been abused in prison. The Israel Prison Service did not immediately respond to the latest requests for comment, while the Israeli Supreme Court has previously declined to intervene in appeals seeking his release.
Abu Safia, a pediatrician and director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, was detained by Israeli forces in December 2024 during a raid on the hospital that also resulted in the detention of medical staff and patients. He has remained imprisoned without charge ever since.
Throughout Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza, Abu Safia became one of the territory’s most prominent medical voices, documenting the collapse of the healthcare system and the immense challenges facing hospitals operating under relentless bombardment and severe shortages of supplies.
Despite losing one of his sons in an Israeli drone strike, he continued treating patients and speaking publicly about conditions inside Gaza’s hospitals. Like many Palestinian healthcare workers before him, he was ultimately detained while carrying out his medical duties.
The UN Working Group’s findings add to growing international calls for Abu Safia’s release, as rights organizations continue to raise concerns over his health, detention conditions, and the broader treatment of Palestinian detainees held without charge.
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