The family of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, has appealed to the international community to intervene swiftly to put pressure on the Israeli occupation authorities to release him after his forced disappearance from the facility a few days ago, the Palestinian Information Centre has reported.
“Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, who has made great efforts to protect the health system in northern Gaza, is now facing an uncertain fate after he was forcibly disappeared by Israeli forces,” the family said on Sunday. “Abu Safiya did everything he could to serve patients in the midst of the harsh conditions in the area and 84 days of siege, during which he lost his son Ibrahim and suffered a serious injury.”

According to the family, the Israeli occupation forces forced Abu Safiya to take off his clothes despite the cold weather and used him as a human shield during its military operation in the area after detaining him. The family affirmed that he still suffers from his previous injury and appealed to international human rights groups to take action to find out his fate and provide him with protection.
Kamal Adwan Hospital was one of the last partially-functioning hospitals in northern Gaza. Abu Safiya was taken by Israeli forces during their violent raid on the hospital in Beit Lahiya on Friday. It is not known where he has been taken.
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