Rights group raises concerns about jailed Dr Abu Safia amid strikes on Gaza

What the report says

An Israeli human rights organization is raising new concerns about Dr Hussam Abu Safia, the jailed director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, as Israeli strikes on the enclave continue. According to Al Jazeera, Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) says Abu Safia has been denied an independent medical examination and that his condition may be worsening in custody.

PHRI said it obtained a review of Abu Safia’s medical records that indicated substantial weight loss over four months, falling haemoglobin levels and chest pain that the group says was not properly examined. The organization also said Israeli prison authorities have not released his latest medical file. Abu Safia was taken by the Israeli army in December 2024 during a raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital.

The report also said Israeli courts rejected petitions seeking the release of 14 Gaza doctors held without charge and asking that Abu Safia be allowed an independent examination. PHRI argues that holding doctors without trial violates their rights and weakens Gaza’s already damaged health system, which has lost many medical professionals during the war.

Al Jazeera reported the court said it found no reason to intervene in the military’s decision not to release the doctors. The article places the case against the backdrop of continued attacks on Gaza and widespread damage to the territory’s medical infrastructure since the war began in October 2023.