A recent United Nations investigation has expressed worry over allegations of mistreatment concerning a well-known Palestinian physician taken into custody by the Israeli military in Gaza in December 2024. The doctor, Hussam Abu Safiya, who serves as the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, remains detained in Israel, prompting the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory to call for his immediate release.
Human rights organizations and Abu Safiya’s legal representative have raised concerns about his deteriorating health and his prolonged detention without formal charges. Physicians for Human Rights Israel, an Israeli advocacy group, reported that Abu Safiya’s life is at risk and he has been subjected to daily abuse while in custody.
In response to these allegations, the UN inquiry issued a statement citing serious apprehensions regarding the treatment of Palestinian detainees by the Israeli Prison Service, potentially constituting violations of international law amounting to international crimes. The inquiry linked Dr. Abu Safiya’s medical condition directly to the actions of the prison guards.
On the contrary, an Israel Prison Service spokesperson refuted the accusations, labeling them as false, outrageous, and lacking factual basis. The IPS has previously denied claims of mistreatment towards Abu Safiya and other medical professionals in detention.
Abu Safiya’s legal counsel recently voiced concerns about his client’s precarious health and the ongoing abuse he endures daily. During a Supreme Court hearing in Jerusalem via video link in June, Abu Safiya appeared visibly emaciated, raising further alarms about his well-being.
The UN inquiry highlighted that the treatment of Abu Safiya by Israeli authorities reflects a broader pattern of violations consistent with previous reports. In a separate incident, another UN rights body deemed Israel’s detention of Abu Safiya as arbitrary and called for his immediate release, citing violations of human rights declarations.
In a tragic turn of events, Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Gaza claimed the lives of at least nine Palestinians, including two young children, aged six and ten. The Israeli military stated that it targeted militants in Gaza City but claimed ignorance regarding casualties incurred.
Additional strikes in various parts of Gaza City resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries, as medics reported a rising death toll for the day. Despite a ceasefire agreement brokered by the U.S. with Hamas in October 2023, Israel has continued its military operations in Gaza, alleging self-defense against militant threats.
Hamas, in turn, has accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire terms. The appointed U.S. Board of Peace envoy to Gaza highlighted violations by both sides since the ceasefire’s implementation, leading to ongoing hostilities and casualties.
Since the ceasefire came into effect nine months ago, over 1,070 Palestinians, predominantly civilians, and four Israeli soldiers have lost their lives in Gaza, according to official figures. Hamas has not disclosed the number of its combatants killed during this period.
