Published 15.08
A prominent Palestinian doctor has been abused in Israeli custody and is in critical condition, his lawyer says.
53-year-old Hussam Abu Safiya became a symbol of healthcare workers’ attempts to treat patients during the war, including by publishing videos of pleas for help.
He was the director of a hospital in the northern Gaza Strip when he was arrested in December 2024.
He has still not been charged with a crime, but the Israeli military claims that the doctor is in contact with Hamas, which is labeled a terrorist by Israel, among others.
Lawyer Nasser Odeh is now alerting that the doctor during a visit last Thursday was extremely weak and had difficulty sitting upright. He also reportedly had fresh injuries around the eyes, ears and neck as well as breathing difficulties.
The Israeli Correctional Service has called the reports of abuse against the doctor “false and completely without factual basis”.
