A recent United Nations investigation has raised concerns over reports of mistreatment of a well-known Palestinian doctor who was captured by the Israeli military in Gaza in December 2024 and is currently being detained in Israel. The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, has called for the immediate release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Gaza Strip.
Rights organizations and Abu Safiya’s legal representative have voiced fears about his safety, stating that he is being held without charge and his life is at risk. Physicians for Human Rights Israel, an Israeli rights group, has highlighted the alleged mistreatment of Palestinian detainees by Israeli Prison Service guards, suggesting potential violations of international law amounting to international crimes.
In response, an Israel Prison Service spokesperson has refuted these claims, labeling them as false and baseless. Despite not specifically mentioning Abu Safiya, the IPS has previously denied allegations of ill-treatment towards him and other medical professionals in custody.
Abu Safiya’s lawyer has recently expressed concerns about his deteriorating health and alleged daily abuse. During a Supreme Court hearing in Jerusalem in June, Abu Safiya appeared visibly thinner, raising further alarm about his well-being.
The UN inquiry has linked the treatment of Abu Safiya by Israeli authorities to a broader pattern of violations identified in previous reports. In a separate statement, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention criticized Israel for its actions, deeming Abu Safiya’s detention as arbitrary and calling for his immediate release.
Meanwhile, deadly strikes in Gaza have continued, resulting in the deaths of at least nine Palestinians, including two children aged 10 and six. Israeli airstrikes near a school in Gaza City and in the Mawasi area in Khan Younis have claimed multiple lives, including that of a child. Palestinian health officials have reported additional casualties from Israeli military operations in different parts of Gaza City.
The ongoing violence in Gaza has persisted despite a ceasefire mediated by the United States last October. Both Hamas and Israel have accused each other of violating the agreement, leading to further casualties and instability in the region. Since the ceasefire began nine months ago, over 1,070 Palestinians, predominantly civilians, and four Israeli soldiers have lost their lives in Gaza, according to official figures. Hamas has not disclosed the number of its fighters killed during this period.