Praise for Global Solidarity, but a Call for More
The Palestine Prisoners’ Studies Center commended the growing worldwide public movement demanding the release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, citing recent efforts such as a U.S. campaign pressuring Congress over detained Palestinian medical staff, along with demonstrations held in Milan and across Sweden calling for his freedom. However, the center stressed that this activism, while valuable, remains insufficient on its own, since Israeli authorities continue to disregard international public opinion and humanitarian appeals — meaning real progress requires sustained official pressure from international institutions and governments.
Hundreds of Medical Workers Detained During the War
The center said Israeli forces detained hundreds of Palestinian medical personnel throughout the war on Gaza, in what it described as a clear violation of international norms and agreements that prohibit targeting humanitarian workers. Dr. Abu Safiya was detained by Israeli forces on December 27, 2024, during a raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of the last major functioning medical facilities in northern Gaza at the time, after the hospital was damaged and patients and staff were forced to leave. He reportedly suffers from chronic conditions, including heart problems and high blood pressure, which have worsened during his detention.
Renewed Demands for Immediate and Unconditional Release
The Palestine Prisoners’ Studies Center renewed its call on international bodies to take genuine, coordinated action to pressure Israeli authorities into immediately releasing both Dr. Abu Safiya and fellow detained physician Dr. Marwan al-Hams, who the center says is also being subjected to torture and medical neglect. It urged an end to what it called ongoing abuses against them and called for international protection to be extended to all detainees from the Gaza Strip in particular.
The case has drawn sustained attention from United Nations experts and human rights monitors. Independent UN-appointed experts, including the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, have said Dr. Abu Safiya has been subjected to systematic torture and that his medical condition puts his life at imminent risk, demanding immediate and unconditional release. The Palestinian mission to the UN has separately urged the international community to act urgently to secure his release and to protect Palestinian medical staff more broadly, noting that UN special rapporteurs and a fact-finding commission on the occupied Palestinian territory documented evidence of torture in his case. Rights advocates argue that as the occupying power, Israel is bound under international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions to protect healthcare workers and ensure their safety.