A recent United Nations investigation has raised concerns over reports of mistreatment against a well-known Palestinian doctor, Hussam Abu Safiya, who was detained by the Israeli military in December 2024 and is currently being held in Israel. The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, has called for the immediate release of Abu Safiya, who serves as the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Gaza Strip.
Various rights organizations and Abu Safiya’s legal representative have highlighted the imminent risks to his life and the fact that he is being held without any formal charges. Physicians for Human Rights Israel, an Israeli rights group, has emphasized the daily abuse that Abu Safiya reportedly faces while in detention.
The UN inquiry expressed grave concerns about the treatment of Palestinian detainees by Israeli Prison Service guards, citing potential violations of international law that could amount to international crimes. The inquiry attributed Abu Safiya’s deteriorating medical condition directly to these actions.
In response, an Israel Prison Service spokesperson refuted the allegations, labeling them as false, outrageous, and lacking any factual basis. Despite previous denials by the IPS regarding mistreatment claims, Abu Safiya’s lawyer has continued to raise alarms about his client’s well-being and the ongoing abuse he endures.
The UN inquiry noted that the treatment of Abu Safiya by Israeli authorities aligns with a broader pattern of violations previously identified in its reports. In a separate development, a UN rights body recently labeled Israel’s detention of Abu Safiya as arbitrary and called for his immediate release, citing violations of human rights declarations and covenants.
Meanwhile, deadly incidents persisted in the Gaza Strip, with Israeli airstrikes and gunfire causing the deaths of at least nine Palestinians, including two children aged 10 and six, on Wednesday. Health officials reported casualties from Israeli attacks near schools and displaced people’s tents. The Israeli military claimed to be targeting militants but denied awareness of civilian casualties.
The ongoing violence underscores the fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, with both sides accusing each other of violating the terms. The toll from the conflict over the past nine months includes over 1,070 Palestinian casualties, predominantly civilians, and four Israeli soldiers, as documented by official figures from the conflicting parties. Hamas has not disclosed the number of its fighters killed during this period.
