DaysofPal- The Director General of the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, Munir al-Bursh, has called for urgent international intervention to secure the release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, who was arrested by Israeli forces on December 27.
“Dr. Abu Safiya was seen in Sde Teiman Prison with clear signs of beating and torture on his body,” al-Bursh revealed. “The Israeli occupation initially denied his arrest but later admitted it.”
Dr. Abu Safiya was taken into custody during a violent raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital, which had been under siege for nearly three months. Israeli forces stormed the bombed-out facility, forcing medical staff, patients, and their families out at gunpoint. All were ordered to strip to their underwear and were transferred to an undisclosed location.
This incident has drawn international condemnation. Two UN Special Rapporteurs have called for an end to Israel’s “blatant” disregard for the right to health in Gaza, highlighting the raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital and the detention of its director.
The UN experts pointed out that before his abduction, Dr. Abu Safiya’s son “was killed in front of him, and he was recently injured while on duty as a result of Israel’s genocidal acts.”
This case follows the tragic deaths of two other prominent Palestinian doctors: Dr. Adnan Al-Bursh, head of the orthopaedics department at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, and Dr. Iyad Al-Rantisi, head of the obstetrics department at Kamal Adwan Hospital, both succumbed to torture while in Israeli detention in April 2024 and November 2023, respectively. Despite these personal tragedies, Dr. Abu Safiya continued to provide medical care amidst continuous bombardment and threats.
The World Health Organization has expressed outrage, declaring the raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital a gross violation of international law. “Hospitals have once again become battlegrounds,” the UN health agency stated, noting at least 50 verified attacks on medical workers at or near the hospital since October.
By the end of 2024, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported that Israeli forces had killed over 1,057 doctors and healthcare workers in Gaza, with many deaths resulting from direct attacks on medical facilities.
International law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, specifically prohibits attacks on civilian hospitals and medical personnel. Yet, the ongoing assault on Gaza’s healthcare system highlights what human rights experts describe as “systematic war crimes” committed by the Israeli military.
Calls for accountability and justice have intensified, with advocates urging the global community to take immediate action to ensure the protection of medical professionals and uphold international humanitarian law.
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