WMA members must call for release of detained Palestinian medics

What the report says

Al Jazeera published an opinion piece by Javid Abdelmoneim, the international president of Médecins Sans Frontières, urging members of the World Medical Association to press for the release of detained Palestinian medics when the group meets in Rotterdam this week. The article says medical workers in Gaza and the occupied West Bank have faced killing, detention and attacks, and argues that WMA members have an ethical duty to defend healthcare workers’ protection in conflict.

The piece highlights several named Palestinians, including paediatrician Hussam Abu Safia, family doctor Mazen al-Rantisi and orthopaedic surgeon Mohammed Hassan Ali Obeid, all described as being held by Israel without charge under its laws on unlawful combatants. It says Abu Safia was the head of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza before the facility was stormed in December 2024, and notes an international petition for his release signed by hundreds of health professionals.

Abdelmoneim also cites figures from the World Health Organization and the United Nations about repeated attacks on healthcare in Gaza and the West Bank, widespread damage to health facilities and the detention of medical staff. The article argues that the WMA should publicly call for the release of detained doctors, demand independent access to those still held and support investigations into attacks on healthcare. It is presented by Al Jazeera as the author’s opinion, not the outlet’s editorial position.