Free Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya — Urgent: A doctor is dying in custody

The emergency · latest visit 14 July 2026

His lawyer left the cell believing he had said goodbye.

Two photographs of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya side by side. Left, labelled October 2024: in hospital scrubs with a stethoscope, working as director of Kamal Adwan Hospital. Right, labelled June 2026: gaunt, grey-bearded and visibly aged after eighteen months in Israeli detention. — **Twenty months apart.** On the left, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in October 2024. On the right, the same man in June 2026, after eighteen months in Israeli detention without charge.

Latest update · lawyers' visit, 14 July 2026

Physicians for Human Rights–Israel reports that during a visit by his lawyer and by PHRI's attorney on 14 July, Dr. Abu Safiya said his assault by prison guards continued even after the previous visit on 2 July — the visit at which serious allegations of violence and physical injuries were documented. He stated that since then he has been held alone in a cell in solitary confinement.

He asked the lawyers to take every possible measure to secure his transfer out of Rakefet and his removal from solitary confinement. He also requested appropriate medical treatment: an examination by an ophthalmologist — it was evident during the visit that he was suffering from a problem in his right eye — the return of his eyeglasses, and the continued provision of pain medication.

— Physicians for Human Rights–Israel, following the lawyers' visit of 14 July 2026

From the earlier visit on 2 July 2026 — his lawyer, Attorney Nasser Odeh, on the condition he found Dr. Abu Safiya in at the Rakefet interrogation facility inside Nitzan Prison.

“This is the last time you will see me. They brought me here to kill me. I don’t see myself surviving. This is the end.”

— Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya to his lawyer, as reported by PHRI, 2 July 2026

Barely recognisable. Fresh, severe injuries to his head, eyes, ears and neck; brought to the meeting shackled hand and foot by masked guards.
Struggling to breathe. Extremely weak, unable to sit upright without falling, and repeatedly on the verge of losing consciousness.
“Assaulted with a hammer and batons.” He reported being attacked by prison guards after a Supreme Court hearing, then subjected to daily beatings since 24 June 2026.
No medical treatment. Multiple losses of consciousness, untreated — as his lawyer and PHRI appeal for an urgent independent medical examination and his transfer out of Rakefet.

What you can do — in the next five minutes

Pressure is the only thing that has ever moved his captors.

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Who he is

He is the doctor who would not leave his patients.

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya is a paediatrician and neonatologist who became director of Kamal Adwan Hospital — for a time the last major functioning health facility in northern Gaza. Through more than 80 days of siege and bombardment in late 2024, he kept the hospital running and repeatedly refused Israeli orders to evacuate while patients and newborns remained in his care.

The war had already taken his family. In late October 2024, his 15-year-old son Ibrahim was killed by an Israeli strike at the hospital. Dr. Abu Safiya buried his son and kept working.

On 27 December 2024, Israeli forces stormed Kamal Adwan and detained him. He was first taken to Sde Teiman — the military base notorious for the abuse of Palestinian detainees — and has since been moved repeatedly between prisons. In February 2025 he was placed under Israel’s “Unlawful Combatants” Law, which permits indefinite detention without charge or trial. To this day, no charge has ever been brought against him.

He is not alone. More than 430 Palestinian healthcare workers have been detained since October 2023; roughly 95 remain held, many without charge. Dr. Abu Safiya has become the face of a medical profession under attack.

He is one of hundreds

Healthcare workers targeted since October 2023.

Dr. Abu Safiya's case is not an isolated one. It sits inside a documented pattern of attacks on Palestinian medical staff — the people whose protection under international humanitarian law is supposed to be absolute.

As of 17 April 2026

1571

Palestinian healthcare workers killed by Israeli Occupation Forces since October 7, 2023.

446

Palestinian healthcare workers unlawfully detained by Israeli Occupation Forces since October 7, 2023.

6

Healthcare workers reported killed in Israeli detention since October 7, 2023, with their bodies still being held.

5

Healthcare workers in Palestine missing since October 7, 2023.

Source: Healthcare Workers Watch, which documents attacks on Palestinian medical personnel.

How we got here

A pattern of escalation — the worst of it after he sought justice.

Oct 2024
His 15-year-old son Ibrahim is killed by an Israeli strike at Kamal Adwan Hospital. He continues to treat patients.
27 Dec 2024
Israeli forces raid Kamal Adwan and detain Dr. Abu Safiya, forcing the hospital out of service. He is taken to Sde Teiman.
Feb 2025
He is designated an “unlawful combatant,” permitting detention without charge or trial.
Mar 2026
UN human-rights experts issue a fresh demand for his release, citing reports of “severe torture.”
Apr 2026
His administrative detention is extended again. Rights groups file a Supreme Court petition for the release of detained Gaza doctors.
Jun 2026
He is placed in solitary confinement; his lawyer describes it as punishment for challenging his detention.
2 Jul 2026
Attorney Nasser Odeh visits Rakefet and documents life-threatening injuries. PHRI warns of imminent danger to his life.
14 Jul 2026
A further visit by his lawyer and PHRI's attorney: he reports the assaults have continued since 2 July and that he is now held alone in solitary confinement. He asks for transfer out of Rakefet, an eye examination, the return of his glasses and continued pain medication.
Now
He is still there. Every second on the counter above is a second he remains in that cell without independent medical care.

The pressure map

An international chain of responsibility.

The officials who hold him. The governments that can force his release. The medical world that must refuse to stay silent. Every name below has a role in whether Dr. Abu Safiya lives.

A The officials holding him — Israel

Kobi Yaakobi

Commissioner, Israel Prison Service

Operational control of Nitzan Prison and the Rakefet unit; can order his transfer and care today.

ips@mail.gov.il +972 8-977-6666

Gali Baharav-Miara

Attorney General of Israel

Can order an independent medical examination and intervene in life-threatening detention.

mancal@justice.gov.il 073-392-3461

Maj. Gen. Itai Ofir

IDF Military Advocate General

Legal authority over his classification and detention without charge.

Pazar@idf.il s.patzar@idf.il

Boaz Bismuth

Chair, Knesset Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee

Parliamentary oversight of military detention policy.

bbismut@knesset.gov.il 02-640-8381

Simcha Rothman

Chair, Knesset Constitution, Law & Justice Committee

Jurisdiction over the Unlawful Combatants Law and detention conditions.

srothman@knesset.gov.il vhuka@knesset.gov.il

Israeli Embassy, London

Diplomatic mission to the UK

The primary formal channel for UK public pressure reported back to Jerusalem.

info@london.mfa.gov.il +44 20 7957 9500

B Governments that claim to defend human rights

Yvette Cooper

United Kingdom · Foreign Secretary

The UK’s chief diplomat, with authority to make emergency representations to Israel.

coopery@parliament.uk @YvetteCooperMP

Hamish Falconer

United Kingdom · Minister for the Middle East

Day-to-day ministerial responsibility for UK policy on Israel and Palestine.

hamish.falconer.mp@parliament.uk @HFalconerMP

Kaja Kallas

European Union · High Representative

EU-wide diplomatic weight; Israel values EU trade access. Can demand answers on a detained doctor.

@KajaKallas via EEAS

Anita Anand

Canada · Minister of Foreign Affairs

Canada positions itself as a human-rights leader; its silence would expose that as hollow.

media@international.gc.ca @AnitaAnandMP

Johann Wadephul

Germany · Foreign Minister

Germany is Israel’s closest European ally, with real diplomatic and arms-export leverage.

via Auswärtiges Amt

Jean-Noël Barrot

France · Minister for Europe & Foreign Affairs

France mediates in the region and claims to champion human rights.

@francediplo_EN

Penny Wong

Australia · Foreign Minister

A key US ally, vocal on other human-rights issues; regional and diplomatic influence.

@SenatorWong

Marco Rubio

United States · Secretary of State

Holds direct authority over US policy toward Israel and over Leahy Law vetting of units implicated in abuses.

state.gov/contact-us @SecRubio

Sen. James Risch

United States · Chair, Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Controls the committee's agenda, hearings and arms-sale review.

risch.senate.gov (202) 224-2752

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen

United States · Ranking Member, Senate Foreign Relations

Senior Democrat with jurisdiction over foreign aid and State Department oversight.

shaheen.senate.gov (202) 224-2841

Rep. Brian Mast

United States · Chair, House Foreign Affairs Committee

Jurisdiction over foreign aid authorisation and arms transfers.

mast.house.gov (202) 225-3026

Rep. Gregory Meeks

United States · Ranking Member, House Foreign Affairs

Lead Democrat on the committee; co-signs bipartisan oversight letters to the State Department.

meeks.house.gov (202) 225-3461

C The medical world must not stay silent

World Medical Association

Dr. Jacqueline Kitulu · President

The global federation of medical associations. The torture of a colleague demands its public intervention.

secretariat@wma.net

World Health Organization

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus · Director-General

Has already called for the release of Gaza doctors — and must escalate to emergency status.

@DrTedros

Int’l Committee of the Red Cross

Mirjana Spoljaric · President

Mandated by the Geneva Conventions to visit detainees — and reportedly denied access to him. It must demand entry now.

communication@icrc.org

Physicians for Human Rights–Israel

Naji Abbas · Prisoners & Detainees Dept.

Issued the urgent warning and holds the documentation. International support amplifies their voice.

intl.adv@phr.org.il

British Medical Association

United Kingdom · doctors’ union

Can press the UK government directly. His case should be an emergency priority.

bma.org.uk/contact

American Medical Association

Dr. Willie Underwood · President

The largest US medical association; its voice can shift the US government’s stance.

Willie.Underwood@ama-assn.org

Latest updates

What has happened, and who has spoken.

Since the campaign launched, elected representatives, UN bodies and medical organisations across the world have demanded his release. Newest first — every statement linked to its source.

1 Elected officials speaking out

15 Jul 2026

UK Foreign Office: “deeply concerned”, case raised at senior levels

Answering written questions in Parliament, the FCDO said it was “deeply concerned by the recent reports of Dr Abu Safiya's mistreatment whilst in Israeli custody,” had “raised this case again with the Israeli Embassy in London and at senior levels across Israeli Government,” and that “any allegations of torture or mistreatment must be thoroughly investigated.”
UK Parliament, written answer UIN 16811 →
13 Jul 2026

48 German MPs write to Israel's president

Members from the SPD, Greens and Die Linke — including SPD faction leader Matthias Miersch and Greens co-leader Franziska Brantner — wrote to President Isaac Herzog on the detained Gaza doctors, demanding humane treatment and stating that, absent robust and legally verifiable charges, those held must be released with immediate effect.
dpa →
10 Jul 2026

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calls for his release

“Israel must release pediatrician Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, who has been held without charge for 18 months and now faces an imminent threat to his life from torture. Israel must end the targeting of health workers and the inhumane treatment of Palestinians in arbitrary detention.”
@RepAOC →
8 Jul 2026

European Parliament: “The EU must take urgent action”

Speaking in plenary debate, MEP Lynn Boylan said: “Hussam Abu Safiya has been beaten, he has been tortured, and his life is at risk… The European Union must take urgent action to ensure the immediate release of Hussam Abu Safiya.”
Eunews →
5 Jul 2026

UK Middle East Minister raises his case with Israel

Hamish Falconer MP: “I am aware of the concerning reports about the treatment of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya who is still in Israeli detention. We have raised his case again today with the Israeli authorities. Britain's commitment to the rule of law and a fair trial is resolute.”
@HFalconerMP →

2 Legal findings & organisations

15 Jul 2026

Over 800 UK medics write to the Foreign Secretary

Organised by Amnesty International UK and Health Workers 4 Palestine, the letter urges Yvette Cooper to “publicly and unequivocally demand his immediate release and use all economic, political, and diplomatic tools at your disposal to secure his release.” Amnesty UK chief executive Kerry Moscogiuri said he is “being tortured to the brink of death by Israeli forces — for the crime of refusing to abandon his patients.”
Middle East Eye →
8 Jul 2026

UN Commission of Inquiry demands unconditional release

“The Commission calls for the immediate, unconditional and safe release of Dr. Abu Safiya and of all medical personnel held in arbitrary detention by Israel,” adding that the conduct of Israeli Prison Service guards raises “grave concerns of violations of international law that likely amount to international crimes.”
Al Jazeera →
7 Jul 2026

Five UN Special Rapporteurs: Israel “has turned the practice of medicine into a crime”

A joint statement from the UN experts on health, the occupied Palestinian territory, extrajudicial executions, counter-terrorism and human-rights defenders: his “ongoing arbitrary detention without charges or trial is a reflection of Israel's systematic targeting of Palestinian health workers,” and Israel “must ensure that Dr. Abu Safiya has access to immediate and adequate medical care.”
OHCHR →
6 Jul 2026

UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention rules his detention unlawful

In formal Opinion A/HRC/WGAD/2026/14, the Working Group found that “the appropriate remedy would be to release Mr. Abu Safiya immediately and accord him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law.”
JURIST →
6 Jul 2026

Amnesty International: release him immediately

“Israeli authorities must immediately release the arbitrarily detained Palestinian paediatrician and director of Kamal Adwan hospital, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya.” Erika Guevara Rosas called the reports of his deteriorating conditions “truly horrifying”.
Amnesty International →
6 Jul 2026

European Public Health Association joins the call

EUPHA set out five demands, concluding: “In the absence of lawful charges and credible judicial proceedings, release him immediately and unconditionally” — alongside the release of all health workers detained for carrying out their professional duties.
EUPHA →

You are not alone

Global campaigns to free Dr. Abu Safiya.

This page stands alongside the campaigns, petitions and human-rights organisations that have kept Dr. Abu Safiya’s name alive. Add your voice to theirs.

What we are calling for

Demand the immediate release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya.
Secure immediate ICRC access to assess his health condition and ensure urgent medical care under the Geneva Conventions.
Raise his case at the UN and in diplomatic engagements.
Support an independent investigation into abuses against detained Palestinian healthcare workers.
Ensure accountability for violations of international law.
Protect healthcare workers and medical facilities.
Work for the release of all detained Palestinian healthcare workers.

Take action to save Palestinian healthcare workers

Avaaz “Free Dr Abu Safiya and all Palestinian medical staff” — sign the petition. Amnesty International Petition: release Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. Action Network Canada: write to your representatives demanding immediate action. IMEU Policy Project US-focused campaign to free Dr. Abu Safiya. freedrabusafiya.com Campaign petition and resources.

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This site and the campaign behind it were developed with Words of Justice — the platform that has already delivered over 600,000 emails and tweets demanding Dr. Abu Safiya's release.

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