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Israel denies knowledge of Gaza hospital director’s whereabouts

January 3, 2025 at 3:13 pm

The head of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. [Screengrab/dr.hussam73/Instagram]

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) has voiced grave concerns over the fate of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, especially after the Israeli occupation military denied having any record of his detention.

Abu Safiya was detained on Saturday after occupation forces raided and forcibly evacuated the hospital. Video footage later released by the occupation army showed Abu Safiya entering an Israeli military vehicle and being greeted by occupation forces.

The PPS cited videos, photos and testimonies from released detainees from the notorious Sde Teiman detention centre as clear proof of Dr Abu Safiya’s detention.

However, Israeli authorities have since retracted their earlier acknowledgments and dismissed the existence of corroborating evidence. Though a post by the Israeli army on X clearly states: “The director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, who is suspected of being a Hamas terrorist operative, was also taken in for questioning.”

In a statement, the PPS highlighted Abu Safiya’s case as representative of the widespread issue of enforced disappearances among Gaza detainees.

Agnes Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International, said the Israeli occupation’s recent remarks mean Abu Safiya “should now be considered as victim of enforced disappeared, and as such at great risk of torture and ill-treatment. Israeli authorities must urgently disclose the location of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiyyah.”

Physicians for Human Rights, representing Abu Safiya’s family, submitted a request today seeking legal access to visit him. However, the Israeli military denied having any record of his detention. In response, the organisation filed an urgent petition demanding disclosure of his whereabouts.

The PPS further reported that Abu Safiya is among at least 320 healthcare workers detained since the onset of the current genocide in Gaza. The organisation emphasised that targeting medical personnel and the destruction of healthcare facilities are central elements of Israel’s ongoing military onslaught on Gaza.

Since the escalation of violence in Gaza on 7 October, 2023, three detained doctors from Gaza, Iyad Al-Rantisi, Adnan Al-Barsh and Ziad Al-Dalu, have died while in Israeli custody.

The PPS placed full responsibility for Abu Safiya’s safety on the Israeli authorities and urged the international human rights community to take decisive action to restore its credibility and confront the ongoing genocide.

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