Lina Altawell
16 June 2026•Update: 16 June 2026
The Israeli Supreme Court rejected on Tuesday an appeal against the detention of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and approved his continued imprisonment under Israel’s ‘unlawful combatant’ law without filing charges, his attorney Nasser Odeh said.
Odeh stated that the decision is “in clear contradiction with international law and the Geneva Conventions, which provide special protection for medical personnel during armed conflicts.”
“Abu Safiya remains held in solitary confinement in Nafha prison under harsh detention conditions, deprived of necessary medical treatment and the most basic rights guaranteed to him,” Odeh said.
Abu Safiya, who served as director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, was detained by Israeli forces on Dec. 27, 2024, after troops stormed the hospital during military operations in northern Gaza.
In previous statements, rights groups and lawyers said that during detention he has suffered severe weight loss, skin infections and medical neglect.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have also reported that the detained pediatrician was subjected to abuse and mistreatment in Israeli custody.
According to Palestinian and Israeli rights groups, around 9,500 Palestinians remain in Israeli prisons, where detainees face torture, starvation and medical neglect that have led to the deaths of dozens of prisoners.
Israel’s war in Gaza since October 2023 has killed nearly 73,000 Palestinians and injured more than 173,000, most of them women and children, according to Palestinian figures.
Despite a ceasefire that took effect last October, the Israeli army has since killed 981 Palestinians and injured 3,104 in near-daily attacks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
