Israel Detains Gaza Hospital Director Amid Ongoing Conflict
Israel has confirmed the detention of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of a Gaza hospital, following an Israeli military operation last Friday. Initially, a local NGO expressed concerns over his well-being, stating that Israel had claimed to be unaware of his case.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Dr. Abu Safiya is undergoing an investigation by Israeli security forces. The IDF characterized him as a suspected “terrorist” affiliated with Hamas, the militant group engaged in conflict with Israel in Gaza.
Dr. Abu Safiya’s arrest occurred during an Israeli military operation at Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza, where the IDF claimed the facility was being used as a “Hamas terrorist stronghold.” Reports indicate that military personnel forced patients and medical staff to exit the hospital.
On the same day of his arrest, the IDF informed Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) that it had no information regarding Dr. Abu Safiya’s status. The NGO subsequently filed a petition with the Israeli High Court of Justice, demanding the disclosure of his location, with the court granting the IDF a week to respond.
Agnès Callamard, head of Amnesty International, urged Israeli authorities to reveal Dr. Abu Safiya’s whereabouts and highlighted the detention of numerous Palestinian healthcare workers in Gaza without charges. She noted that detainees had faced mistreatment and incommunicado detention, a claim that Israeli officials vehemently deny.
Dr. Abu Safiya’s family believes he is being held at Sde Teiman military base, where many detainees from Gaza are reportedly taken for interrogation. There have been alarming accounts from whistleblowers regarding the harsh conditions faced by detainees at this facility.
During the military operation, patients and medical personnel at Kamal Adwan hospital were given little time to evacuate, with sources indicating they had only about 15 minutes to do so. The area, located in Beit Lahia, has been under a strict Israeli blockade since October, leading to a critical humanitarian situation for approximately 10,000 to 15,000 residents in the vicinity.
The IDF reported the apprehension of 240 combatants at Kamal Adwan hospital, including Dr. Abu Safiya. Video evidence captured him being led towards an Israeli armored vehicle for questioning. In a previous raid in October, Dr. Abu Safiya had been arrested but released shortly thereafter, an incident marked by the tragic death of his 15-year-old son due to an Israeli drone strike.
The ongoing attacks on Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure have drawn widespread condemnation, with the UN Human Rights Office warning that these actions have brought Gaza’s healthcare system to the brink of collapse and raised serious concerns about potential war crimes.
In response to the ongoing conflict, Israel has stated that its military operations adhere to international law and assert that it does not target innocent civilians. This military campaign was initiated following Hamas’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and the abduction of 251 individuals. Since that date, the health ministry in Gaza reports over 45,580 lives lost due to the ongoing conflict.