Above photo: CNN.
‘Full Year Of Injustice.’
Human rights organizations report allegations of torture and mistreatment in Israeli detention as his family continues to demand his release, noting he remains held without charges.
Exactly one year after Israeli forces kidnapped Kamal Adwan Hospital director Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, relatives and health officials renewed demands for his release on 27 December, citing his deteriorating health.
A year has passed since the detention of my father,
In this white coat, he walked alone amidst death, destruction, and in front of tanks—not because he was fearless, but because his oath and his humanity were greater than any fear. He refused to abandon the children and the… pic.twitter.com/8NtuIGBeYf— Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya د.حسام أبو صفية (@HussamAbuSafiya) December 26, 2025
The anniversary prompted statements from Gaza authorities and international rights groups calling for disclosure of his fate and an end to his arbitrary detention.
Occupation forces took Dr. Abu Safia on 27 December 2024 during a military raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia.
At the time, the hospital was the last operational medical center serving northern Gaza. Witness accounts said he was detained while actively carrying out his medical duties.
His son, Elias Abu Safia, marked the anniversary publicly, recalling the moment his father was seized, saying his father “refused to abandon the children and the wounded at the hospital, and for that, he was detained.”
Since then, Dr. Abu Safia has remained in Israeli custody without formal charges, with his lawyer, Ghaid Qassem, and rights organizations saying he has been moved between the notorious Sde Teiman torture camp in Israel’s Negev Desert and Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
Sde Teiman prison has been widely reported as a site of systemic torture and dehumanization, and became the focus of international outrage after leaked video footage showed the gang-rape of a Palestinian detainee.
Safia’s family said in a February statement that he spent weeks in solitary confinement and was subjected to “severe torture and mistreatment,” adding that his condition worsened due to inadequate food and medical complications that emerged during detention.
Qassem said lawyer visits revealed “visible signs of torture,” including severe skin conditions and significant weight loss, warning that his health had sharply declined and that detainees urgently require medical care.
Amnesty International reported that Israeli authorities barred Dr. Abu Safia from meeting a lawyer until 11 February 2025.
A subsequent visit in early July documented allegations of beatings, food restrictions, and denial of adequate medical treatment.
The Gaza Health Ministry, through its head Munir al-Bursh, appealed for international intervention, urging states “to secure the release of Abu Safia, disclose his fate, and provide him with protection under international law.”
Despite appearing on proposed prisoner release lists during exchange and ceasefire discussions, Israeli courts extended Dr. Abu Safia’s detention by six months back in October under so-called “unlawful combatant” provisions.
