A United Nations inquiry urges Israel to immediately release Hussam Abu Safiya, a prominent Palestinian doctor and director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Gaza Strip, who has been held in Israel since his seizure by Israeli forces in December 2024. The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, says it has received credible reports that Abu Safiya has suffered abuse in detention and that his condition is worsening. The inquiry states that the actions of Israel Prison Service guards raise concerns of violations of international law that may amount to international crimes, adding that his medical condition is linked to what it describes as these actions.
Abu Safiya’s lawyer and Palestinian rights groups say his life is in imminent danger and that he continues to be held without charge. They also point to his visibly deteriorated condition when he appeared by video link at a Supreme Court hearing in Jerusalem in June.
An Israel Prison Service spokesperson rejects the allegations, saying they are false and without factual basis. In parallel, a separate UN mechanism has said the detention is arbitrary and called for his immediate release.
