No end to torture of Gaza doctor Abu Safia in Israeli prison: What to know

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu Safia remains in Israeli detention and, according to his lawyer, continues to face abuse inside prison. Abu Safia was taken by Israeli forces on December 27, 2024 from Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, where he had refused orders to evacuate while the facility was still operating. He has since been held without charge or trial under Israel’s unlawful combatant law, and rights groups say his case reflects broader concerns about treatment of Palestinian detainees.

The latest account of his condition came through his lawyer, who visited him at the Rakefet detention facility inside Nitzan Prison on August 30, according to Physicians for Human Rights Israel. The group says Abu Safia described beatings, sleep deprivation and threats meant to stop him from speaking about his detention. Earlier reports cited by Al Jazeera say he has been kept in solitary confinement, suffered visible injuries, and was moved on August 10 to the prison service medical centre in Ramla.

Al Jazeera also notes that UN experts and major human rights organizations have called for his release and for independent medical access. In July, a UN inquiry urged Israel to free Abu Safia and provide immediate care, while PHRI is pursuing legal steps for an independent examination. The issue matters beyond one detainee because it sits within wider allegations of arbitrary detention, torture and severe prison abuse affecting Palestinians held by Israel, especially since the Gaza war began.