Palestinian Doctor Hussam Abu Safia Remains Abused In Israeli Prison

Hussam Abu Safia remains in an Israeli prison, and reports say he keeps getting abused. His lawyer insists the man has suffered under detention for almost two years now. This situation brings up fresh worry about his safety inside that facility.

Israeli forces took Abu Safia from Kamal Adwan Hospital on December 27, 2024. They removed him because he refused orders to leave. At that moment, Kamal Adwan was one of the last functioning medical sites left in northern Gaza. Israel has killed hundreds of medics and wrecked or damaged nearly every hospital there as part of a drive to break down the enclave's healthcare system.

A list of recent stories covers this crisis. UN experts push for his freedom amid claims of severe torture. An Israeli court ruled last week to keep the prominent Palestinian doctor locked up. A rights group notes he is in life-threatening condition. Also, a UN inquiry is urging his release after Israel jailed him.

Activists and his family have pointed out his physical state inside the prison on a regular basis. They are asking for him to be let go. Back in July, a United Nations inquiry commission stated that Abu Safia faced continued and severe abuse. Just last month, the director general of Gaza's Ministry of Health called for urgent action to save the jailed doctor's life.

What is the newest testimony from the detained man? And why does Israel hold him without any charge? The latest statement came through his lawyer, Nasser Odeh, based on a release Wednesday by Physicians for Human Rights Israel.

Odeh arrived at Nitzan Prison on August 30 to visit Abu Safia inside the Rakefet detention facility. The doctor told visitors that Israeli guards keep beating him, denying him sleep, and threatening him if he shares his situation with legal counsel. A statement from PHRI describes these assaults in detail, noting that guards punch and kick Abu Safia while striking him with batons across his body, including sensitive areas. They also use loudspeakers and other noise sources throughout the night to deliberately keep him awake.

What else has happened during this detention? Rights groups and family members have long noted signs of regular torture. His lawyer previously stated that Abu Safia faces daily violence while held in solitary confinement at the underground Rakefet site. In July, PHRI reported that his injuries were so severe, fresh and serious bruises on his head, around his eyes, on his ears, and on his neck, that his lawyer struggled to recognize him. Footage from June showed him via videolink before an Israeli court looking noticeably thinner in the face and around his abdomen. On August 10, he moved from Rafeket to the medical centre at Ramla prison. PHRI stated that this transfer indicates serious medical needs ordinary prison wards cannot address.

Rights groups are pushing hard for answers now. The jailed Gaza doctor's testimony arrives as PHRI pursues legal steps demanding an independent physician examine him. They submitted this request to the Israel Prison Service on July 7, but the organization says approval has not yet come. Abu Safia also petitioned an Israeli administrative court through the group while the prison service recently asked for more time to respond. The Israeli rights group declared there is no justification for further delay.

When were these arrests made and why? No charges face the doctor and he has not faced any trial because he is held under Israel's unlawful combatant law. This policy lets Israel detain Palestinians for long periods without a trial. Israeli forces took him after raiding Kamal Adwan Hospital, which was rendered destroyed. He refused to evacuate the hospital before his capture. Before detention, he was a prominent voice highlighting Gaza's decimated healthcare sector during what many call genocide. He kept working even after one of his sons died in an Israeli drone attack. At least 13 other Palestinian doctors from Gaza have been imprisoned for more than a year and a half without charges or due process, according to PHRI. Their central demand remains unchanged: release the 14 physicians from Gaza, including Dr Abu Safia, so they can reunite with families and resume medical duties.

How has the international community reacted? In July, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory called for Israel to immediately release Abu Safia. The commission also urged Israeli authorities to provide him immediate independent medical care. Leading human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have petitioned for his release and an end to torture in Israeli custody. A July report from the UN commission found that the reported conduct toward Abu Safia reflects a broader pattern of violations identified in previous reports.

A commission has now confirmed that the mistreatment of Palestinian detainees is not an isolated incident but a widespread and systematic occurrence. The findings demand immediate action from Israel to stop its policies of arbitrary detention and torture. Independent medical experts, specifically the International Committee of the Red Cross, along with human rights monitors, must be granted unhindered access to all places of detention without delay.

The Palestine Human Rights Information Centre reports that Israel's prison policy involving torture has claimed at least 105 lives since October 2023 alone. This number is staggering when you consider the scale of incarceration currently taking place. Right now, more than 9,400 prisoners are held by Israeli authorities. Among them are 92 women and over 370 children, according to both Palestinian and Israeli rights organizations.

Those behind bars have endured routine beatings, deliberate starvation, and sexual assault. Former detainees speaking with Al Jazeera described dehumanizing treatment at the hands of guards and soldiers. They recounted specific instances of torture and sexual violence that stripped them of their dignity. The situation poses a severe risk to these vulnerable communities, who are left without adequate protection or oversight. It is clear that current measures fall short of safeguarding basic human rights for those in custody.