Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, a Gaza‑based hospital chief, was detained by Israeli forces on 24 Dec 2024 and has been held without charge for 18 months.
During a recent visit to the notorious Rakefet interrogation centre, his lawyer Nasser Odeh says he found the doctor badly bruised, covering his face, neck and ears, and nearly unconscious.
Odeh reports that Abu Safiya endured repeated punches, batons and hammer blows from guards after an appeal at the Supreme Court, and that the doctor feared for his life, saying “I’m living in hell.”
The Israel Prison Service has denied any abuse, stating that the detainee is kept in line with law and receives medical care in line with ministerial guidelines.
International bodies—including the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the human rights group Physicians for Human Rights—have criticised Israel’s treatment of Palestinian medical staff and called for Abu Safiya’s immediate release.
