The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has declared Israel’s detention of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a prominent Gazan pediatrician and director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, arbitrary and called for his immediate release. The finding, issued on Monday, cites violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
UN Panel Calls for Release and Compensation
The working group stated that the appropriate remedy is to release Abu Safiya immediately and grant him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations. The panel also expressed broader concerns, noting that the case “may indicate a widespread or systematic practice of arbitrary detention in the country.”
Israel’s Prison Service and diplomatic mission in Geneva did not respond to requests for comment. The UN group noted that Israel also failed to respond when approached about the case in July last year.
Detention Conditions and Health Concerns
Dr. Abu Safiya, 52, has been held since December 2024, according to MENA Rights Group, which filed the complaint. The organization reports he has faced repeated solitary confinement, lengthy interrogations, and beatings with batons and electric shock sticks. His lawyer, Nasser Odeh, warned Monday that his health is in grave danger due to daily abuse. Video footage from a Supreme Court hearing last month showed him visibly thinner.
Steve Cutts, CEO of Medical Aid for Palestinians, stated: “If Dr. Abu Safiya dies in that cell, it will be murder, and everyone who had the power to stop it — and did nothing — will be complicit.”
Israel’s Position and Legal Proceedings
The Israel Prison Service has previously rejected allegations of mistreatment of Abu Safiya and other doctors. Last month, Israel’s Supreme Court rejected an appeal for his release, basing its decision on “confidential materials” under a law for so-called unlawful combatants, which allows indefinitely renewable detention. The Israeli military has accused Abu Safiya of being a Hamas member but has not provided evidence; both Gaza’s health ministry and Hamas deny the allegation.
Broader Implications for Healthcare Workers
Abu Safiya is among at least 14 doctors from Gaza detained without charge for over a year. Tanya Boulakovski, research lead at MENA Rights Group, told Reuters his case is emblematic of “Israel’s systematic targeting of Palestinian health care workers, which has contributed to the collapse of Gaza’s health care system.” In 2023, Abu Safiya was among doctors who refused to abandon newborn infants despite Israeli military orders to leave.
The UN working group’s legal interpretations are non-binding but are sometimes cited as evidence in international courts.
