UN Experts Demand Immediate Release of Gaza Doctor
UN experts on Tuesday called on Israel to immediately release Palestinian physician Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and all health and care workers held in what they described as arbitrary detention. The experts said Abu Safiya’s continued detention without charge or trial reflects Israel’s systematic targeting of Palestinian health workers and the continued destruction of Gaza’s health system, aimed at inflicting conditions leading to the mental and physical destruction of Palestinians.
The independent experts include special rapporteurs Francesca Albanese, Tlaleng Mofokeng, Morris Tidball-Binz and Ben Saul. Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, was detained by Israeli forces on Dec. 27, 2024, when the facility was the last functioning hospital in northern Gaza. The experts said he was illegally detained alongside other medical staff and patients under Israel’s Unlawful Combatants Law, a statute they previously flagged as incompatible with international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
Systematic Targeting of Health Workers
The experts said they first raised the alarm in October 2023, urging member states to halt the escalation of war, and have since engaged directly with Israel over reports of arrests and detentions of health care workers. Violations of the special protections owed to civilians and medical personnel under international humanitarian and human rights law have been immeasurable, they warned, accusing Israel and its allies of ignoring rulings from the International Court of Justice and UN mechanisms without facing consequences.
Citing continued reports of severe torture and recent indications that Abu Safiya’s injuries could prove fatal, the experts demanded Israel provide him with immediate and adequate medical care. They described Abu Safiya’s dedication, expertise and compassion as vital to the delivery of essential health services to Gaza’s most vulnerable populations, and said Israel has turned the practice of medicine into a crime, making health workers targets of harassment, intimidation, arrest, torture and death.
Renewed Call for Release
The experts renewed their call for the immediate release of Abu Safiya and all detained health and care workers. They emphasized that the detention without charge or trial is arbitrary and violates international law. The UN experts have repeatedly urged Israel to comply with international humanitarian law and respect the special protections afforded to medical personnel in conflict zones.
