Abducted Gaza hospital chief suffering from 'scabies and boils' in Israeli detention: Lawyer

Hussam Abu Safiya, chief of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, is enduring brutal conditions in Israeli detention, confined to near-total darkness, exposed to sunlight for just 30 minutes a month, and suffering from scabies and boils, his lawyer revealed.

Gheed Qassem, speaking after a rare visit to a detention center in the Israeli-occupied territories, disclosed that Abu Safiya and his nephew Hussam Zaher are “exposed to sunlight for only thirty minutes a month, while scabies and boils ravage their bodies, and they are forced to remain in the same clothes.”

"As for bathing, it lasts only two minutes, and they have each lost a third of their body weight. They are in dire need of dermatologists and medicines to treat the widespread skin diseases and infections," Qassem said.

Abu Safiya was abducted on December 27, 2024, when Israeli forces raided Kamal Adwan Hospital, forcing patients and medical staff to evacuate while detaining others.

Qassem also relayed a message from Abu Safiya, who has become a symbol of steadfastness and resistance for Palestinians against Israeli repression. 

“I entered in the name of humanity, and I will leave in the name of humanity. I am the one who was abducted from inside the hospital. We will remain on our land and continue to provide healthcare services to the people, God willing, even from a tent," the Palestinian doctor said.

Abu Safiya's family reported that he endured harsh conditions during the initial days of his detention, including 24 days in solitary confinement before being transferred to Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank, where he continues to experience poor treatment.

The family has urged the international community to pressure Israel to provide Abu Safiya with adequate food and medical care and to secure his immediate release.

The Israeli military said the 51-year-old Abu Safiya was among those taken for questioning over alleged ties to the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas.

The Palestinian doctor had reportedly suffered multiple broken ribs due to torture at the hands of Israeli interrogators. His lawyers reported that the torture was meant to force Dr. Abu Safiya to make false confessions that would be used against him.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and various UN agencies have stated that they received no updates about his safety since his detention.

Israel has a long history of committing war crimes against medical workers, as well as attacks against healthcare infrastructure, including hospitals.

According to WHO data, at least 94% of all hospitals in the Gaza Strip have been damaged or destroyed by the Israeli regime.

Report: Gaza doctor tortured to death during Israeli interrogation

Iyad Rantisi, 53, was abducted on November 11 at an Israeli checkpoint.

Humanitarian organizations and rights groups have demanded international intervention to ensure the release of Abu Safiya and all other detained medical personnel, emphasizing the necessity of protecting healthcare workers and upholding their rights.

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese recently urged European Union and Western leaders to exert pressure on Israel for the release of Dr. Abu Safiya.

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a ‘hero in scrubs’ saving lives amid genocidal war on Gaza

Despite losing his young son, sustaining severe injuries, and facing constant threats, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya refused to abandon his hospital and patients in Gaza. Now his whereabouts are unknown.

Israeli human rights group B’Tselem previously noted that Israeli authorities are systematically abusing Palestinians in newly established prison camps following the October 7 al-Aqsa storm operation, subjecting them to severe violence, including sexual assault.

According to B’Tselem, "at the end of December 2024, the Israel Prison Service (IPS) was holding 9,619 Palestinians in detention or in prison."

Earlier this year, the Palestinian Prisoners Club reported that since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza, more than 15,800 Palestinians have been arrested from the occupied West Bank alone, in addition to the detention of dozens of Palestinian workers and thousands from Gaza.

Since October 2023, Israel's genocidal war on the Gaza Strip has killed at least 63,557 Palestinians and wounded 160,660 others.

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