The lawyer for Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza, stated that his client was so severely beaten during his detention in an Israeli jail that he was unrecognizable during a recent visit. Dr. Abu Safiya, who treated patients under siege conditions, was detained in December 2024 when Israeli forces cleared the hospital, labeling it a "Hamas terrorist stronghold."
Images at the time showed Dr. Abu Safiya walking toward an Israeli armored vehicle in his white doctor's coat through rubble before his apprehension for interrogation. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated he was arrested on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities and for holding a rank within Hamas, specifically a colonel in the health department of Gaza's Hamas-run interior ministry. Medical staff and international aid groups who worked with Dr. Abu Safiya, however, deny any cooperation with Hamas.
He is being held under the Unlawful Combatants Law, which allows for prolonged detention without charge for individuals from Gaza suspected of posing a security risk. This law has drawn criticism, with the UN Committee Against Torture expressing deep concern in November 2025 about reports of "a de facto state policy of organised and widespread torture and ill treatment" of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails. In the same month, Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) reported that at least 94 Palestinian prisoners and detainees had died in Israeli custody in less than two years.
The Israel Prison Service has denied the allegations of mistreatment, stating that Dr. Abu Safiya's lawyer's claims are false and lack factual basis. While the service declined to provide specific details on his detention status, location, or medical condition due to privacy and security reasons, it asserted that all detainees are held in accordance with the law and receive medical care in line with ministry guidelines. The service rejected accusations of abuse, torture, starvation, or denial of medical treatment.
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have called for action, with a spokesperson describing the situation as "truly horrifying." PHRI has urged for Dr. Abu Safiya's immediate transfer, urgent medical treatment, and a judicial visit. PHRI also filed a petition in April to the Supreme Court seeking the release of Dr. Abu Safiya and 13 other Palestinian doctors held in Israel without charge.
On Monday, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued an opinion deeming Dr. Abu Safiya's detention arbitrary and calling for his immediate release. The group of independent experts suggested that this case, among others, "may indicate a widespread or systematic practice of arbitrary detention in the country." The BBC has approached the Israel Prison Service for comment on the working group's findings.