Amnesty International said on Monday that Israeli authorities must immediately release Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, a Palestinian paediatrician and the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, saying he is being held arbitrarily.
The organization's call comes after a lawyer who recently visited Dr Abu Safiya reported that his life is in immediate danger due to torture and other forms of ill treatment he has allegedly suffered while in Israeli custody.
Dr Hussam Abu Safiya has been held in Israeli custody without charge or trial since 27 December 2024. He was arrested while working at his hospital in Gaza City and has now been detained for more than 18 months.
Concerns about his worsening condition emerged after a lawyer from Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI), Nasser Odeh, visited him on 2 July 2026. According to the lawyer, since being transferred to the underground Rakevet detention facility, Dr Abu Safiya has been subjected to daily beatings, threats, and other forms of abuse.
Attorney Nasser Odeh reported observing fresh bruises and torture marks on Dr Hussam Abu Safiya’s head and across his body, leaving him barely recognizable. He also said that Dr Hussam Abu Safiya arrived at their meeting with his hands and feet shackled. In his chilling account, Nasser Odeh described him as weak and on the verge of losing consciousness. He further reported that Dr Hussam Abu Safiya told him: “This is the last time you’ll see me…they brought me here to kill me.”
“The lawyer’s testimony must serve as an urgent wake-up call for states around the world, particularly Israel’s allies. It is utterly reprehensible that a doctor who refused to abandon his patients, and who became one of the most prominent voices denouncing the devastation of Gaza’s healthcare system, remains arbitrarily and unlawfully detained under Israel’s baseless designation as an ‘unlawful combatant’. He continues to be deprived of his most fundamental rights, including the right to be protected against torture and other ill-treatment, and his rights to a fair trial and due process,” said Erika Guevara Rosas, Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns at Amnesty International.
Meanwhile, according to Arab News, the son of detained Gaza hospital director said the family was “anxiously awaiting” Israel’s response to concerns over the doctor’s deteriorating condition in custody.
Elias Abu Safiya’s remarks came after the Israeli Supreme Court on Sunday ordered the government to respond within two days to allegations, which surfaced last week, that Abu Safiya has been subjected to torture and is facing life-threatening deterioration in prison.