Courthouse glimpse of prominent Gaza doctor renews calls for release

Israel's Supreme Court is weighing whether to extend the detention of a prominent Palestinian doctor who was seized by Israeli forces 17 months ago in Gaza and appeared via video conference before the judges to challenge his imprisonment.

By Thursday afternoon, the court had not yet released a decision, said Naji Abbas, director of prisoners and detainees at Physicians for Human Rights — Israel, a nonprofit group.

Hussam Abu Safiya, who served as director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, became of the face of health workers struggling to treat patients throughout the Israel-Hamas war. He led the facility through an 85-day siege by the Israeli military, releasing videos in which he pleaded for help. Fourteen doctors from Gaza are still being held in Israeli prisoners, PHRI said.

In a screen grab from his brief appearance on Wednesday, Abu Safiya, 53, was shown handcuffed and sitting in white prison garb. His face was pale and gaunt and he had lash-like marks on both arms.

According to PHRI, he was recently placed in solitary confinement, a move his son, Elias Abu Safiya, said in a video posted on social media was made shortly after his appeal. Israel has yet to charge Abu Safiya with a crime.

Israel's Justice Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. The Israeli Prison Service denied claims that the doctor, a trained pediatrician, was being mistreated. In a statement, it said all detainees receive professional medical care and any allegations of abuse or mistreatment made through official channels are examined.

The Israeli military has said Abu Safiya is being investigated on suspicion of cooperating with or working for Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza. Medical staff and international aid groups that have worked with Abu Safiya have denied those claims.

On Wednesday after the hearing, Abu Safiya's lawyer, Nasser Odeh, said he had a message from the doctor.

"I am a pediatrician who provides medical care to patients, the wounded, and the most vulnerable in the Strip," Odeh said, relaying the doctor's words. "I carried out my work in accordance with international law and humanitarian standards. My detention is unjust and arbitrary."

The war between Israel and Hamas began on Oct. 7, 2023, after the Gaza-based militant group led an attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage. Since then, nearly 73,000 people have been killed in the Israeli offensive in Gaza, according to the territory's Health Ministry. The ministry is staffed by medical professionals and the United Nations and other independent experts view its figures as the most reliable count of casualties.