Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya "beaten in monstrous ways" during Eid, lawyer reveals
Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a pediatrician and director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, detained by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), is enduring extreme mistreatment and deteriorating conditions behind bars, according to his lawyer, who described the situation as increasingly dire.
Dr. Abu Safiya was arrested by the IOF and has since been held in what his lawyer, Gheed Kassem, calls "inhumane conditions." In an interview with Alaraby TV, Kassem said she has met with the doctor three times, and each visit has been more harrowing than the last.
"To be honest, what I have heard from him was incredibly shocking, to the point where I don't even know if it's right to reveal to the media," she said.
Kassem described widespread abuse of detainees, particularly during the Eid Al-Fitr holiday earlier this month, saying prisoners from Gaza were "beaten and assaulted in a monstrous way."
"I have not met one prisoner in the last week, unfortunately, who was not beaten or assaulted," she added. "The situation is escalating, the starvation is increasing, the torture is increasing, the isolation from the outside world is increasing, the threats are increasing, and no one has been able to put a boundary for these escalations."
Dr. Abu Safiya, despite being a civilian and medical professional, has been labeled an 'unlawful combatant' by "Israeli" authorities. This classification allows for prolonged detention without formal charges or a trial. He is expected to remain in administrative detention at least until September or October.
His lawyer emphasized that many others, including entire medical teams and patients taken from Gaza hospitals, are facing similar abuse in detention.
"As rights advocates and lawyers, we are ashamed to even talk about the levels of torture happening," Kassem said. She described acts such as stomping on prisoners' faces, humiliating treatment, and forcing detainees to drink sewage water as examples of the conditions being endured.
"Prisoners are being forced to participate in acts that would be morally denounced worldwide,' she said. 'Their honour is stepped on every day, every minute. Their mistreatment is incredibly horrible."
In a recent incident, Dr. Abu Safiya was reportedly struck in the head with a metal pillar while in custody, raising further concerns about his safety and health.
Kassem pointed out that even a healthy individual would likely suffer lasting damage from the conditions in "Israeli" detention facilities. "He is not the only innocent detainee suffering. Medical workers, patients, civilians—none are spared."
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