Former UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has called on Britain to end all military cooperation with Israel, warning that the country's treatment of detained Gaza hospital director Dr Hussam Abu Safiya reflects a broader pattern of abuse against Palestinian prisoners. In comments to The New Arab , Corbyn said Abu Safiya's deteriorating condition was "of great concern" and urged the British government to intervene as fresh legal filings raised new questions over the Palestinian doctor's health.
"The abominable treatment of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya in Israeli prisons is symptomatic of their treatment of prisoners in general, and notably Palestinian prisoners," he said.
"He is a remarkable man in so many ways. Dr Abu Safiya is a brilliant physician, hospital director and a man who has dedicated his life to the health of the Palestinian people . His health is beyond precarious and of great concern," Corbyn added.
He said he had repeatedly raised Abu Safiya's case in the UK Parliament alongside fellow independent MP John McDonnell and had pressed Prime Minister Keir Starmer to act.
"We continue to demand immediate intervention and statements," he concluded.
The comments came after Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) said the Israeli government 's response to a High Court petition had failed to answer key questions about Abu Safiya's condition despite confirming he had undergone several medical examinations since being transferred to the underground Rakefet detention facility at Nitzan Prison.
According to PHRI, the state did not explain why the examinations were necessary, what they found or how they were consistent with its claim that the doctor's life was not in danger.
The organisation also said the response failed to address allegations made in a sworn affidavit by Abu Safiya's lawyer, Nasser Odeh, who reported seeing severe injuries to his head and neck, repeated loss of consciousness, breathing difficulties and signs of physical abuse during a prison visit last week.
According to the affidavit, Abu Safiya said he had been repeatedly beaten while held in solitary confinement and again after being transferred to the underground detention wing. He also reportedly told his lawyer that he feared he would be killed in detention.
PHRI said an independent medical examination and an independent judicial review of Abu Safiya's condition were now urgently required, while calling on Israel's High Court to hold an emergency hearing on its petition seeking the release of 14 Palestinian doctors from Gaza being held without charge.
The Israeli government has asked the court to dismiss the petition without a hearing, arguing there are no exceptional grounds to revoke the doctors' detention orders.
PHRI rejected that position, saying the state had failed to justify the continued detention of the doctors or address the wider impact on Gaza's devastated healthcare system, which continues to face a severe shortage of medical staff.
Corbyn also accused Britain of enabling Israeli military operations through continued arms exports and intelligence cooperation.
"Britain supplies arms and security information to Israel, which enables Israel to bomb Gaza and kill people like Dr Abu Safiya, as well as destroy the hospitals that they've spent their lives working in," he said.
"Britain is complicit in the war crimes in Gaza ," he added. "Britain must cease all military engagement whatsoever with Israel because of their war crimes."
Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza , has been held by Israel without charge under its Unlawful Combatants Law since late 2024. His case has drawn growing international attention following reports from his legal team alleging torture, severe ill-treatment and a rapid deterioration in his health.