Israel/OPT: Release pediatrician and hospital director

On December 27, 2024, the Israeli military raided Kamal Adwan Hospital in Mashrou’ Beit Lahiya. During the raid, they detained the hospital’s director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, along with other medical staff and patients. This attack forced the last major medical facility in North Gaza to shut down.

Dr. Abu Safiya has been a leading voice for Gaza’s struggling healthcare system. His detention raises serious concerns. Israeli authorities must immediately release him. Until then, they should disclose his location, allow him access to a lawyer, and ensure his safety. He must also receive proper healthcare and protection from mistreatment.

Here’s what you can do:

Write to the Military Advocate General Israel Defense Forces urging him to:

• Secure the release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and all other Palestinians, including health workers, who have been forcibly disappeared or arbitrarily detained by Israel.
• Disclose his current whereabouts and ensure his protection from all forms of torture, ill-treatment, and coercion while in detention.
• Grant him immediate access to legal counsel to safeguard his rights and ensure fair treatment.
• Provide him with adequate medical care to address his health needs during his detention.

Arbitrary detention and hospital raid

On December 27, 2024, the Israeli military detained Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, 51, a pediatrician and the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Mashrou’ Beit Lahiya, along with hospital staff and patients. This raid, the latest in a series of attacks on healthcare facilities in North Gaza over three months, forced the hospital, the last major medical center in the region, to shut down.

Earlier incidents included raids in October 2024 and December 2023, where medical staff and patients were detained, temporarily halting the hospital’s operations. Despite these challenges, Dr. Abu Safiya and his team worked tirelessly to reopen the hospital and provide essential care to patients.

The role of Kamal Adwan hospital in crisis

From January to September 2024, Kamal Adwan Hospital served as a vital lifeline for North Gaza residents, treating victims of strikes, malnutrition, and dehydration amidst the devastating effects of the Israeli-imposed Netzarim Corridor. This barrier split Gaza, limiting access to medical facilities.

The hospital’s staff, under Dr. Abu Safiya’s leadership, treated those injured in attacks like the “flour massacres” and supported humanitarian efforts by sharing critical health information. As of late 2024, the Israeli military’s intensified offensive and near-total siege on North Gaza left 75,000 remaining residents relying solely on Kamal Adwan for healthcare.

Targeting healthcare workers and facilities

Dr. Abu Safiya’s detention highlights a broader pattern of targeting Palestinian healthcare workers. Hundreds have been arbitrarily detained, forcibly disappeared, or subjected to torture without charges or trial. The Israeli Magistrate’s Court extended Dr. Abu Safiya’s detention under the Unlawful Combatants Law and prohibited him from meeting a lawyer, refusing to disclose his whereabouts.

Witnesses reported seeing him at the Sde Teiman detention center. These actions, combined with strikes on hospitals and medical facilities documented by the UN, have decimated Gaza’s healthcare system. The destruction and targeting of healthcare are part of broader actions described as deliberate attempts to destroy Palestinian life, prohibited under the Genocide Convention.

Please take action as soon as possible until February 13, 2025! The UA will be duly updated should there be the need for further action.