DaysofPal- When former detainee Ahmed Qadas was first brought face-to-face with Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya inside an Israeli detention center, the recognition was not immediate. The man before him, haggard, frail, and speaking in a hollow whisper, bore no resemblance to the commanding director of Kamal Adwan Hospital whose charisma once filled international news screens.
This stark contrast captures the profound impact of abuse in Israeli detention, an impact that, according to former prisoners, goes beyond physical harm to the “erasure of identity.”
Dr. Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, was arrested on December 27, 2024, when Israeli forces raided the medical facility. According to reports cited by Al Jazeera, human rights organizations later raised concerns about his treatment.
In October 2025, Amnesty International, citing a lawyer who visited him and other detainees, said he had been subjected to abuse and other forms of ill-treatment.
A Body Fading Under Strain
Qaddas, speaking after his release, described the doctor’s condition as visibly deteriorated. He spent most of his time sitting in a dazed state, overwhelmed by exhaustion caused by continuous abuse.
The once-prominent hospital director, Qaddas recounted, had become a man who murmured faint prayers, his words barely intelligible. The transformation, he said, reflected the scale of his physical and psychological collapse.
He also described the psychological toll shared by detainees, recalling how prisoners could hear Dr. Abu Safiya’s screams as he was beaten, powerless to intervene.
Qaddas admitted he often hesitated to approach the doctor, despite wanting to help. Any attempt to assist could trigger punitive measures by prison authorities, including raids on cells and the use of tear gas, which risked suffocating detainees.
He added that Dr. Abu Safiya appeared extremely weak and emaciated, his clothes in poor condition, further signs, he said, of the harsh treatment and neglect he had endured.
Qaddas concluded his testimony with an urgent appeal, warning that the doctor’s life was in immediate danger if his detention continued under such conditions.
Systemic Abuse and Medical Neglect
Another former detainee, Hamza Abu Amira, provided further details, describing what he saw as systematic targeting of the doctor. He met Dr. Abu Safiya in October 2025 and observed that his condition was already critical, with clear signs of illness and fatigue.
According to Abu Amira, the doctor’s treatment was noticeably harsher than that of other detainees. He said Dr. Abu Safiya was repeatedly subjected to beatings and verbal abuse, often during solitary interrogations conducted by special units.
The doctor’s physical state, he added, was alarming, marked by severe weight loss, dirty clothing, and constant exhaustion.
Abu Amira described serious health deterioration, including persistent vomiting and an inability to keep food down, all while being denied medical care. “He would take a bite and then vomit it,” he said, illustrating the extent of his suffering.
He also recounted a particularly harsh episode during which detainees, including Dr. Abu Safiya, were kept bound for seven consecutive days, their hands tied behind their backs and their legs restrained, making even basic activities like eating or using the bathroom nearly impossible.
Over the roughly two weeks he spent with him, Abu Amira said he witnessed a continuous decline in both the doctor’s physical and psychological condition.
Humiliation as a Tool
Beyond physical abuse, Abu Amira described deliberate humiliation. In some instances, the doctor was reportedly forced to repeat degrading statements about himself under duress.
While other detained medical personnel, including doctors from Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, also faced harsh treatment, Abu Amira emphasized that Dr. Abu Safiya’s situation was particularly severe.
He noted that the doctor appeared to rely increasingly on prayer, seeking spiritual strength to endure his conditions and asking fellow detainees to pray for him.
A third testimony, from former detainee Rami Abu Amira, focused on events shortly before his release about six weeks earlier. He said he witnessed Dr. Abu Safiya being severely beaten after returning from interrogation.
Rami described shocking methods used during interrogations, including the use of police dogs to intimidate and attack the doctor, leaving visible wounds and scratches across his body.
“They would strip him of his clothes and set the dogs on him,” he said, adding that prison forces appeared to deliberately target him by storming his sleeping area and deploying stun grenades and tear gas nearby before forcibly transferring him.
According to Rami, the signs of abuse were clearly visible on the doctor’s body and in his deteriorating health. He echoed earlier warnings that Dr. Abu Safiya faces a real risk of death if conditions remain unchanged.
A Resilient Past, an Uncertain Fate
Despite his current condition, Dr. Abu Safiya remains remembered by those who knew him as a resilient physician. He continued his work even after losing his son Ibrahim and sustaining a leg injury. In widely circulated footage of his arrest, he was seen walking steadily toward an Israeli tank, a moment that came to symbolize his resolve.
Colleagues from Kamal Adwan Hospital described him as “the father of patients,” a testament to his dedication and compassion.
Dr. Abu Safiya is one of 737 medical personnel reportedly detained by Israel since the start of the war in Gaza, including doctors, paramedics, and nurses.
Testimonies and reports suggest that many have faced mistreatment in detention, raising growing concern among human rights advocates.
As calls mount for his release, former detainees warn that time may be running out.
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