Jailed Gaza hospital chief reported in life-threatening condition after prison transfer

The detained director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza is reported to be in life-threatening condition after more than 555 days in Israeli prison, according to a rights group and his family. Dr Hussam Abu Safia was arrested at work on 27 December 2024 during Israeli operations against Gaza's health system, and his son says he can now barely breathe or speak. The latest claims centre on severe deterioration after a transfer to solitary confinement in a maximum-security prison.

Sponsored

Elyas Abu Safia said in a video message that his father was visited by lawyer Nasser Odeh two days earlier, and that the account from the visit described serious physical decline. He said his father showed signs of severe abuse and that his face appeared disfigured after what he described as torture and pain, including after a recent court session in Jerusalem. Physicians for Human Rights Israel said Abu Safia's life was in immediate danger after his transfer to the Rakefet section of Nitzan prison.

The rights group said Odeh visited Abu Safia on 2 July and documented severe injuries, signs of assault, difficulty breathing and repeated loss of consciousness. It said guards brought him into the visit with his hands and feet bound and surrounded by masked officers. The group also said it saw fresh bruises and injuries on his head, around his eyes, ears and neck, and that the wounds were so severe the lawyer struggled to recognise him.

These claims have not been independently verified in the material provided. The case is significant because it sits at the intersection of the Gaza conflict, detention conditions and the treatment of medical personnel. Kamal Adwan Hospital was one of the main medical facilities in northern Gaza, and Abu Safia's arrest came as Israeli forces intensified operations against the area's healthcare system.

Sponsored

His detention has become a focal point for allegations of abuse in custody and for wider concerns about the protection of health workers during the war. The reporting also places the case within a broader pattern of pressure on Gaza's medical infrastructure. Abu Safia was detained while working at the hospital, and the account provided by his son says his family has been left without clear protection or support.

The son also said an Israeli drone strike killed another of Abu Safia's sons, Ibrahim, at the entrance to the hospital two months before the arrest. That sequence has added to the family's public appeal for his release. What remains unclear is the current medical assessment of Abu Safia, whether he has received treatment, and how prison authorities will respond to the allegations.

The claims of abuse, solitary confinement and loss of consciousness have been raised by the family and a rights group, but no official response is included in the supplied material. The next developments to watch are any confirmation from prison authorities, further legal action, and whether there is any movement on the call for his release.

#Gaza #HussamAbuSafia #KamalAdwanHospital #detention #humanrights

Sponsored