DaysfoPal— The Palestinian Center for Prisoners’ Defense on Thursday said the Israeli occupation is continuing to detain 16 doctors from the Gaza Strip under harsh and inhumane conditions, calling for their immediate release.
The center said the doctors are being isolated and denied family visits or communication.
It added that the detainees are subjected to mistreatment, inadequate food, medical neglect, and prolonged interrogation. In contrast, such measures come as part of a broader policy targeting Palestinian medical personnel who remained at their posts during the Israeli genocidal war.
The organization urged mediators and international actors to intervene, calling for the release of all detained Palestinian doctors, as well as other vulnerable detainees, including the sick, children, and administrative prisoners.
It described their continued detention as a “stain on the conscience of the international community.”
According to the statement, the detention of medical personnel reflects wider pressures on Gaza’s healthcare system.
The center said the Israeli attacks on medical facilities, the arrest of healthcare workers, and restrictions on their movement and rights have significantly undermined access to essential health services.
The center also warned that the doctors are being held in difficult conditions, citing a lack of adequate food, medical care, and legal access, as well as limited transparency regarding their health status and places of detention.
It said these conditions raise serious concerns for their safety, particularly in light of testimonies of torture and denial of medication for some detainees.
The center highlighted the cases of physicians Hussam Abu Safiya and Marwan al-Hams, who it said exemplify the broader situation.
It said that Abu Safiya has faced abuse, isolation, and threats, while al-Hams is reportedly experiencing deteriorating health due to a lack of treatment and restrictions on communication.
The center identified the detained doctors as Ahmad Shahada, Mahmoud al-Hallaq, Raed Mahdi, Murad al-Qouqa, Hamza Abu Sabha, Ahmad Mousa, Nahid Abu Taima, Ghassan Abu Zahri, Musab Samman, Hassan al-Muqayyad, Mohammad Obeid, Akram Abu Odeh, Medhat Abu Tabnaja, Omar Ammar, in addition to Abu Safiya and al-Hams.
It added that detaining medical professionals at a time when Gaza’s healthcare system is under severe strain further exacerbates the humanitarian situation by depriving patients of critical expertise.
The center noted that the reported conditions violate international humanitarian law, which affords special protection to medical personnel, as well as international standards governing the treatment of detainees, including access to healthcare, adequate nutrition, legal representation, and protection from torture.
The center called on international organizations, including the World Health Organization, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and Médecins Sans Frontières, to urgently seek access to the detainees, assess their conditions, and press for their immediate and unconditional release.
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