WEST BANK, (PIC)
Palestinian human rights institutions have warned that the lives of detained Palestinian doctors Hussam Abu Safiya and Marwan al-Hams are in grave danger due to their exposure to daily torture in Israeli prisons.
The Palestinian Commission of Detainees’ and Ex-Detainees’ Affairs said that Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya are exposed to torture, abuse, and harsh detention conditions that threaten his life, affirming that the Israeli prison service seeks to liquidate him.
In a statement on Sunday, head of the Commission Ra’ed Abul-Hems reported that Dr. Abu Safiya’s face and body bear evident signs of severe beatings and torture, adding that he is being starved, denied medical treatment and medication, and held in solitary confinement.
“The doctor’s health has sharply deteriorated, with his physical appearance visibly changed. He suffers from severe exhaustion, struggles to breathe and speak, and remains handcuffed and shackled most of the time,” Abul-Hems said.
Abul-Hems called on Physicians for Human Rights, the World Health Organization, and international medical bodies to launch urgent efforts to pressure Israel to release Abu Safiya and end all Israeli violations against him.
For its part, the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has urged, in a press release issued on Sunday, the Red Cross to “urgently coordinate with Israeli authorities to secure immediate access to two Palestinian doctors, Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza, and Marwan al-Hams, director of field hospitals in the Gaza Strip.”
“Given the growing fears that they could face death from torture in Israeli prisons and interrogation centers, the Red Cross must intervene immediately and conduct visits, especially considering credible reports of their health seriously declining due to severe torture, which includes repeated beatings and the withholding of medical treatment.”
“The immediate release of Abu Safiya and al-Hams, who are civilian doctors with protected status under international humanitarian law, is a top legal obligation that must be fulfilled and cannot be overlooked. Allowing the Red Cross to visit them right away is not a replacement for their release, but a necessary step to prevent their death in custody from torture.” Euro-Med stressed.
The Asra Media Office also warned of growing Israeli attempts to kill Dr. Abu Safiya, in light of recent reports published by prisoner institutions.
“These reports confirm that he is subjected to harsh incarceration conditions, including systematic torture, starvation, isolation, and denial of medical treatment,” Asra Media said.
“The ongoing detention of Dr. Abu Safiya without charge or trial under the ‘Unlawful Combatant Law’ constitutes a blatant violation of international law. It underscores the use of the detention system as a retaliatory tool against medical professionals who fulfilled their humanitarian duties in Gaza, as part of a systematic policy targeting detainees both physically and psychologically,” Asra Media added.
On Saturday, lawyer Nasser Odeh, the legal representative of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, reported a serious deterioration in his health after being transferred to the underground interrogation section “Rakevet” in the Israeli Nitzan prison in the city of Ramla.
The lawyer demanded Abu Safiya’s immediate transfer out of this interrogation section and called for an urgent visit by a judge to assess his health condition closely before it is too late.
Lawyer Odeh said that during a recent visit, Dr. Abu Safiya was brought out handcuffed, shackled, and surrounded by several masked guards, adding that fresh severe injuries were visible across his body, including his head, neck, and the areas around his eyes and ears, leaving him barely recognizable.
During the meeting, it was clear that Dr. Abu Safiya struggled to breathe or speak in full sentences. He appeared profoundly weak, unable to sit upright without assistance and often seemed on the verge of losing consciousness, according to the lawyer.