Abducted Gaza doctor’s testimony exposes appalling abuse in Israeli prisons

Prominent Palestinian physician Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, who has been in Israeli custody since 2024, has disclosed distressing information regarding the conditions of his confinement and the mistreatment he purportedly endured in Israeli jails.

Dr. Abu Safiya reported that he has experienced multiple instances of intense beatings on various parts of his body, including sensitive parts, noting that the severe assaults were inflicted by hands, feet, and batons.

He stated that the assaults are consistently carried out as a means of punishment right after meetings with his attorneys, amid severe detention conditions.

The abducted physician also stated that he was intentionally denied sleep due to persistent noise and the use of loudspeakers throughout the night.

Dr. Abu Safiya reported that he has been subjected to continuous threats and warnings that discourage him from discussing the treatment he endures in detention with his lawyer.

Physicians for Human Rights reported that it documented significant prior injuries sustained by Abu Safiya, which include injuries to his head, face, and various other areas of his body.

The organization reported that the injuries comprised serious damage to his left eye, in addition to ongoing complaints of pain and injuries to his head, chest, and sensitive parts due to persistent assaults.

Detained Palestinian doctor Abu Safiya faces grave risk in Israeli custody: Rights group

A Palestinian rights organization has called for the immediate release of Gaza physician Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, saying he is facing a grave risk in Israeli custody.

The Israeli military abducted Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, on December 27, 2024, after raiding the hospital, forcibly removing him at gunpoint, and rendering significant portions of the facility non-operational.

Dr. Abu Safiya sustained injuries on November 24, 2024, due to an Israeli airstrike aimed at the hospital; however, he chose to remain and provide care to patients, even after the loss of his son in a prior Israeli raid on October 26, 2024.

In February 2025, Israeli officials classified Abu Safiya as an “unlawful combatant” amidst torture and inadequate medical care. The Palestinian Prisoners Media Office reported on June 3, 2026, that he had been moved to solitary confinement.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the overall death toll from Israel’s genocidal war on the besieged coastal region since October 2023 has risen to 73,470, with 174,540 others injured.

Since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025, Israeli forces have continued carrying out airstrikes, shootings and demolitions across Gaza.

Israel has expanded its control to around 70% of Gaza’s territory, confining Palestinians to less than 30% of the strip, according to local estimates.

The Israeli war on Gaza, launched on October 7, 2023, with US backing, has devastated nearly 90% of the region’s civilian infrastructure.

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