Alleged Torture of Detained Gaza Doctor Sparks International Outcry

Lawyer Nasser Odeh has claimed that Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, a senior health officer in Gaza who has been in Israeli custody since December 2024, endured serious beatings during a recent visit to the notorious Rakefet interrogation centre.

Odeh reported that Abu Safiya was left in a state of disorientation, bruised across the face, neck and ears, and that he was “almost unconscious” several times while facing physical and psychological torment.

The Israel Prison Service rejected the lawyer’s claims, stating that the detainee is “held in accordance with the law” and receives medical care based on ministry guidelines. No details of the police handling or medical treatment were provided.

Under Israel’s Unlawful Combatants Law, Abu Safiya and 13 other Palestinian doctors have been held without charge. A petition to the Supreme Court has urged the release of all the doctors, and the Court is scheduled to respond by Tuesday.

Abu Safiya’s detention follows an order by the Israeli military to evacuate Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, which was designated a “Hamas terrorist stronghold.” The World Health Organization criticised the forced evacuation, and the United Nations has repeatedly called for an end to attacks on medical facilities in the enclave.

The UN Committee against Torture, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the Israel‑based group Physicians for Human Rights Israel have all highlighted concerns over the detention conditions, citing reports of systematic abuse and a high death toll among prisoners.

The UN’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has condemned Abu Safiya’s case as “arbitrary” and called for his immediate release, pointing to a wider pattern of nightly interrogations and denied medical care in Israeli jails.

For now, the international community watches Israel’s actions with concern, demanding transparency and the swift release of Abu Safiya and the other detained doctors. The legal and humanitarian pressure continues to mount as the Supreme Court dates approach and the UN panel’s findings take centre stage.