Israeli Supreme Court rejects appeal to keep Gaza doctor Hussam Abu Safiya detained without charges

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a pediatrician from northern Gaza, has been held in Israel since late December 2024 with no formal charges filed or trial held.

The Israeli occupation’s Supreme Court has rejected Dr Hussam Abu Safiya’s appeal against the extension of his detention. No criminal charges have been brought against him. Dr Abu Safiya has spent more than 500 days under arbitrary detention Dr Abu Safiya is a Palestinian paediatrician and the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, in Beit Lahia, […] By Charlie Jaay

Israel's top court upholds detention of Gaza hospital director without charge Israel's Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by prominent Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu Safiya, ordering that he remain detained without charge under Israel's Unlawful Combatants Law. Abu Safiya, who has been held by Israeli authorities since December 2024, is being detained at Nafha Prison, where his lawyer says he has been subjected to solitary confinement and denied adequate medical care. Israeli authorities accuse the former Gaza hospital director of having links to Hamas but have not publicly presented evidence to support the allegation. According to reports, the court based its decision on confidential evidence that was not disclosed to Abu Safiya or his legal team. The ruling has drawn condemnation from rights groups. Physicians for Human Rights-Israel said Abu Safiya was transferred to solitary confinement 13 days ago without explanation, describing the court's decision as "a severe moral and legal failure".

JERUSALEM, June 16 (Reuters) - Israel's Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal to release a prominent Palestinian doctor who has been held without charge since he was captured in Gaza in late 2024.Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of the Kamal Adwan hospital, is among at least 14 doctors from Gaza who have been detained in Israel without charge for more than a year.

Gaza doctor Abu Safiya to remain in Israeli detention without charge, court rules Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, will remain in prison without any criminal charges, as the Israeli Supreme Court rejected an appeal on Tuesday. Abu Safiya, who has been held in Israeli prisons since December 2024, is being kept in solitary confinement at Nafha Prison in harsh conditions and without adequate medical care despite suffering from various chronic illnesses, according to his lawyer Nasser Odeh. During his last visit to Abu Safiya in May, Odeh reported that the doctor experienced medical neglect, regular beatings, deprivation of food and water, and had his limbs shackled during detention. Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) said Abu Safiya was moved to solitary confinement shortly after filing his petition, without explanation or disclosure of reasons for isolation. According to testimonies, his detention has been repeatedly extended without evidence being presented in court, and no indictment has been filed against him or other Gaza detainees held under the same legal framework, including 13 doctors. Despite being a civilian doctor, Abu Safiya has been categorised as an "unlawful combatant" under Israeli law, which means there is no formal indictment against him. He is amongst scores of Gaza doctors, healthcare workers and emergency responders who have been targeted and arbitrarily detained by Israel, many of whom were seized while carrying out their duties in hospitals. Abu Safiya appears via video link at the Israeli Supreme Court hearing in Jerusalem, 10 June 2026, (Reuters)

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s Supreme Court was weighing whether to extend the detention of a prominent Palestinian doctor who was seized by Israeli forces 17 months ago in Gaza and appeared via video conference before the judges to challenge his imprisonment.