GAZA, (PIC)
The legal team of Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, has revealed that Israeli prison authorities transferred him from the Negev detention facility to solitary confinement in Nafha Prison, where he is being held under harsh conditions and denied adequate medical care.
Lawyer Nasser Odeh said the transfer and isolation were imposed as a punitive measure after Abu Safiya appealed the extension of his detention. He added that his client had been subjected to threats and pressure from Israeli intelligence officers and prison authorities in recent months.
According to Odeh, the pressure was aimed at preventing Abu Safiya from speaking about conditions inside Israeli prisons and the treatment of Palestinian detainees.
He explained that his solitary confinement is intended to cut Abu Safiya off from other prisoners, his lawyers, and the outside world, noting that the defense team has repeatedly been denied access to visit him without clear legal justification.
The lawyer said that throughout nearly a year and a half in detention, Abu Safiya has faced harsh conditions, ongoing medical neglect, and restrictions on access to treatment and legal counsel.
Abu Safiya remains detained under Israel’s “Unlawful Combatant Law” without evidence supporting the accusations against him.
Israeli forces arrested the hospital director on December 27, 2024, after raiding Kamal Adwan Hospital. His detention has been repeatedly extended, including a six-month extension issued in October 2025.
In February 2025, Abu Safiya appeared for the first time in footage broadcast by Israeli media showing him restrained in prison, prompting widespread criticism from human rights advocates.
Odeh said the case reflects a broader pattern affecting Palestinian medical personnel, noting that around 14 Palestinian doctors have been arrested from hospitals during the war in Gaza as part of what he described as a campaign targeting the healthcare sector.
He added that an appeal has been filed with Israel’s Supreme Court seeking Abu Safiya’s release as his detention violates international law and the Geneva Conventions, which provide special protections for medical personnel during armed conflicts.
The lawyer expressed concern over Abu Safiya’s physical and psychological condition amid continued medical neglect and limited information about his well-being while awaiting a court decision.
According to Palestinian sources, Abu Safiya is one of 737 healthcare workers arrested by Israel since the start of the genocidal war in Gaza, including doctors, paramedics, and nurses.