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Amnesty and Human rights organisations demand for Dr Hussam Abu Safiyeh to be released from Sede Teiman

3 January 2025

To the sound of global silence and media complicity, Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, sheltering hundreds of patients, doctors, and displaced individuals, came under attack by Israeli forces despite repeated warnings from renowned paediatrician Dr Hussam Abu Safiya. After more than 80 days of siege, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed the hospital, detaining Dr Abu Safiya.

Dr Abu Safiya has since been confirmed to be held in Sde Teiman prison, as reported by released prisoner Yahya Zaqqout, who heard his name during a morning roll call. Zaqqout recounted that when he asked an interrogation officer about his alleged crime, the officer coldly replied, “You’re from Gaza.”

CNN corroborated these accounts through interviews with released prisoners Ahmad Al Sayyed Saleem and Alaa Abu Banat, who were abducted at a North Gaza checkpoint and released on 29 December 2024. Both described inhumane detention conditions, including exposure to freezing temperatures, systematic punishment, and confinement in cages resembling animal enclosures. Prisoners were given one blanket but no mattress, and speaking resulted in brutal punishment.

Some released prisoners, interviewed at the European Hospital in central Gaza after being transferred through the Karam Abu Salem crossing, detailed the harsh realities in Sde Teiman. There is now no functioning hospital in Gaza.

On 30 December 2024, Dr Abu Safiya’s son issued an urgent appeal to the international community:
“Detained while performing his humanitarian duty, my father now suffers severe mistreatment, including humiliation, exposure to freezing cold, and denial of medical care. Despite losing his son and being injured himself during this war, Dr Hussam continued serving his people with unwavering dedication. Our family holds Kazakhstani citizenship, and we call on the Kazakhstani government, WHO, MedGlobal, and all foreign governments to intervene before it is too late.”

According to Dr Abu Safiya’s son, his father sustained severe leg injuries during the hospital raid. “We were terrified. For three days, we didn’t know where he was,” he said. Witnesses in Gaza have also confirmed seeing Dr Abu Safiya in detention, injured but alive.

Dr Hussam Abu Safiya symbolises sacrifice and humanity. Despite relentless bombardment and the hospital’s dire conditions, he prioritised his patients, ensuring their safety over his own. He was the last to leave the hospital, keeping it operational during more than 80 days of siege.

Eid Sabbah, the head of Kamal Adwan Hospital’s nursing team, reported that many medical staff were detained and relocated to unknown sites, including a wedding hall and a school. Their current whereabouts remain unclear.

The World Health Organization (WHO) condemned the raid, stating that the attack on Gaza’s last major functioning hospital was “appalling.” Patients and staff were forcibly transferred to the non-functional Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia, which lacks essential services.

The UN has denounced reports of torture and sexual violence at Sde Teiman, labelling them “grossly illegal and revolting.” Amnesty International has called on Israel to release all detained healthcare workers, stating:
“Hundreds of Palestinian healthcare workers have been detained without charge or trial. They have endured torture, ill-treatment, and incommunicado detention.”

A colleague at MedGlobal shared Dr Abu Safiya’s words to him:

“I would treat an Israeli child in my hospital the same way I would treat a Palestinian child.”

Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, who embodies humanitarianism and resilience, deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, not to be thrown into a torture camp. At least 1,057 health workers in Gaza have been killed since 7 October 2023, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, while 300 have been detained, reports the advocacy group Healthcare Workers Watch.

His family, colleagues, and the global community urge action to secure his release and uphold the rights of healthcare workers worldwide.

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