DaysofPal – Saturday marks one year since the Israeli occupation forces arrested Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, a figure who has become an enduring symbol of resilience throughout Israel’s genocidal assault on the Gaza Strip.
On December 27, 2024, Israeli forces raided Kamal Adwan Hospital, the only functioning hospital in northern Gaza at the time, detaining Dr. Abu Safiya along with other medical staff and patients.
Despite personal tragedy, including the loss of his son in an Israeli airstrike, Abu Safiya tirelessly managed the hospital, providing essential care for children and witnessing firsthand the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system under ongoing military attacks.
Dr. Abu Safiya was detained while performing his medical duties, a fate shared by many Palestinian healthcare workers before him. The Israeli authorities did not allow him access to legal counsel until February 11, 2025. During a visit by his lawyer to Ofer Military Prison in early July 2025, she reported that Abu Safiya and other detainees had been subjected to assaults and beatings.
She also noted significant weight loss, highlighting ongoing restrictions on access to adequate food, medical care, and personal hygiene imposed by the Israeli prison service.
Human rights organizations and international activists have condemned the detention of Abu Safiya as part of a systematic policy targeting Palestinian medical personnel, in clear violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.
Code Pink, a U.S.-based human rights organization, stated, “We will not forget Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, nor the more than 360 healthcare workers kidnapped by Israel from Gaza since October 2023. Detaining medical staff constitutes a clear war crime.”
Dr. Yeeping Gi of the organization Doctors Against Genocide wrote on social media, “One year ago, the Israeli army abducted Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya along with dozens of medical staff during a terrifying raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital. They must be released… all of them.”
Activist Petra Schornhofer also renewed calls for Abu Safiya’s release, saying, “It has been a year of illegal detention for Dr. Abu Safiya, and he continues to endure harsh and inhumane treatment inside Israeli prisons. Do not forget him.”
Dr. Abu Safiya’s detention has become emblematic of the broader assault on Gaza’s healthcare system and the systematic targeting of medical personnel in conflict zones, highlighting urgent concerns over violations of international law.
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