Published On 10/6/2026
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Last update: 23:17 (Mecca time)
Elias, the son of Palestinian doctor Hossam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, revealed painful details from his father’s trial session before the Israeli Supreme Court in occupied Jerusalem, which was held today, Wednesday, and the doctor appeared with his hands and feet tied and in a remarkably deteriorating health condition.
Abu Safiya appeared via video call from inside his cell, his first public appearance in more than a year.
Elias said in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera that his father spoke in the courtroom in a direct voice about his suffering, stressing that he is “a pediatrician performing his humanitarian duty in treating the sick and injured,” and that he was arrested despite working in accordance with international law and humanitarian standards, describing his detention as unjust and arbitrary, and demanding his immediate release.
The son of the doctor, who has been detained since December 2024, added that his father complained during the session of severe back and neck pain as a result of the attacks he was exposed to inside the prison, indicating that he did not receive the necessary medical care despite his urgent need for urgent health follow-up.
He explained that his father also spoke about depriving him of necessary medications, and that he suffered from eye problems and skin diseases spreading throughout his body, stressing before the judge that he had not been treated and that there was intentionally preventing him from receiving treatment.
According to Elias, today’s hearing was an appeal against his father’s continued detention without charge, as part of what the family describes as arbitrary detention for more than a year and a half, despite the fact that no official indictment has been filed against him yet.
“skeleton”
The doctor’s son stopped at the photo in which his father appeared during the session, saying that it showed the effects of skin diseases on his hands, in addition to his significant weight loss until he appeared “skeletal,” considering it a “shocking testimony” to what he is exposed to inside prisons.
He added that the family received the photo with extreme shock, amidst crying and astonishment, considering that it not only showed the father’s features, but also clear traces of torture, illness, and ongoing suffering.
But according to Elias, what was more cruel than the picture was what his father said in court, when he pleaded for his right to treatment after years of medical work saving the lives of children and the wounded in the Gaza Strip, wondering why he was left to suffer without medical care.
The doctor’s son asked, “How can a doctor who devoted his life to saving others be left without treatment? How can the world continue to remain silent while his health deteriorates in front of everyone?”, noting that the family left the session burdened with fear and sadness.
Doctor Hossam Abu Safiya had previously appeared in February 2025, when Israeli media broadcast a video clip of him being shackled inside prison following his arrest, which then sparked a wave of widespread criticism from human rights organizations and activists.
Serious health conditions
In a related context, the doctor’s lawyer, Nasser Odeh, confirmed that his client is suffering from serious health and humanitarian conditions inside Israeli prisons, after he was transferred to solitary confinement in Nafha prison, where he is deprived of communicating with his lawyer, human rights bodies, and other prisoners.
He explained that Abu Safiya was transferred from the Negev prison to solitary confinement following an appeal session before the Supreme Court, noting that he has not received any medical treatment since his transfer, and has not been examined by a doctor despite his suffering from chronic diseases that require daily treatment.
He added that the prison administration refuses to provide him with medication or conduct a medical examination, despite his repeated requests, pointing out that this file was presented before the Supreme Court during the appeal hearing.
On the legal side, the defense stressed the need for his immediate release, as he was arrested while carrying out his humanitarian work as director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, which is protected by international laws and the Geneva Conventions regarding medical personnel.
The lawyer pointed out that despite the passage of about a year and a half since his arrest, no official charges have been brought against him, while the Israeli authorities rely on what he described as “secret materials” to justify his detention, without presenting public evidence to the defense.
The court session ended without a final decision being issued, while the defense team awaits a decision in the coming days regarding the continued detention of the doctor.
The Israeli army forces arrested Hussam Abu Safiya on December 27, 2024 during the storming of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, at a time when the medical facility was continuing its work amid war conditions.
