Quds News Network

Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- On August 28, lawyer Gheed Qassem visited Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. Israeli forces abducted him in December after he refused to abandon his patients. He is now held in Ofer Prison in the West Bank along with his nephew, Hussam Zaher. The lawyer reported dire conditions. Dr. Abu Safiya and his nephew are exposed to sunlight only 30 minutes a month. Both suffer from scabies, boils, and severe skin infections. They are forced to wear the same clothes and are allowed only two-minute showers on rare occasions. Each man has lost about one-third of his body weight. Doctors warn they urgently need dermatologists and medicine to treat infections. On June 24, Israeli guards stormed Dr. Abu Safiya’s prison cell with weapons and batons. They beat him continuously for 30 minutes, mainly targeting his head. His health has sharply declined since then. Since his arrest, he has lost nearly 40 kilograms. Relatives and rights groups fear his condition will worsen without urgent medical care. Israeli forces detained Dr. Abu Safiya during their raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in December 2023. Instead of trial, the army transferred him under Israel’s “Unlawful Combatant Law.” This law allows authorities to hold detainees for six months without charge, renewable indefinitely. His case is based on a secret intelligence file that his lawyers cannot access. Despite the abuse, Dr. Abu Safiya sent a message of resilience. He said: “I entered in the name of humanity, and I will leave in the name of humanity. We will remain on our land and continue to provide healthcare services to the people, God willing, even from a tent.” Rights groups and medical organizations demand his release. They stress that targeting doctors violates international humanitarian law. For Gaza, where hospitals already face collapse under Israeli bombardment, the loss of doctors like Dr. Abu Safiya deepens the crisis. Since the start if the genocide, Israel has murdered 1411 medical workers and kidnapped 362 others.

New Details on Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya’s Condition Inside Ofer Prison

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