On 27 December 2024, the Israeli military arbitrarily detained Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, a paediatrician and the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza, along with other hospital staff and patients receiving treatment.
The raid followed a series of attacks on healthcare facilities in North Gaza over the previous three months, and resulted in Kamal Adwan — the last remaining major hospital in that region — being taken out of service.
From January to September 2024, Kamal Adwan treated wounded people from across Northern Gaza, including victims of the Israeli-imposed “Netzarim Corridor” which split the enclave; it also received children suffering from malnutrition and dehydration, and provided critical data and humanitarian information to rights organisations under Dr Abu Safiya’s leadership.
In October 2024, Israeli forces launched a major offensive on North Gaza and placed it under near-total siege. In that context, the hospital served as a lifeline for the remaining population — an estimated 75,000 people. Despite its crucial role, Israeli troops stormed the facility, raided it, detained staff and patients, and terminated its operations.
Reports show that Palestinian medical personnel have been arbitrarily detained, disappeared, tortured or subjected to incommunicado detention while Israel’s campaign has damaged or destroyed vital healthcare infrastructure and operations in Gaza. The permanent removal of Kamal Adwan and the detention of its director symbolise a broader attack on the right to health and life in the territory.
As Rightsdefenders Initiative(RDI), we call on the Government of Israel to immediately release Dr Hussam Abu Safiya and all detained healthcare workers; to allow full access to families and lawyers; and to cease all attacks on medical facilities in Gaza. We also call on the international community, including the United Nations, human rights treaty bodies, and States parties, to support independent investigations into these serious violations and to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable. Respect for international human rights law and humanitarian law is imperative.
References
- https://www.972mag.com/hussam-abu-safiya-israeli-detention/
- https://www.amnesty.org.uk/urgent-actions/release-paediatrician-and-hospital-director-0
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/12/gaza-hospital-chief-abu-safia-tortured-in-israeli-jail-lawyer
- https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/12/pattern-israeli-attacks-gaza-hospitals-raises-grave-concerns-report
- https://www.who.int/news/item/28-12-2024-kamal-adwan-hospital-out-of-service-following-a-raid-today-and-repeated-attacks-since-october
- https://apnews.com/article/57e00c5b1e72503e02a9cfd8d8ab64f8
