Latest news with #AbuSafiya
Roya News
19-04-2025
- Health
- Roya News
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."
Middle East Eye
18-04-2025
- Health
- Middle East Eye
Hussam Abu Safiya's 'inhumane conditions' in Israeli detention worsening
Hussam Abu Safiya and other Palestinian prisoners in Israeli-run detention centres are facing increasingly "inhumane conditions" and torture, according to his lawyer. Gheed Kassem said in an interview with Alaraby TV that she has visited the paediatrician, who is the director of Gaza's Kamal Adwan hospital, three times, with "each visit being more difficult than the one before". "To be honest, what I have heard from him was incredibly shocking, to the point where I don't even know if its right to reveal to the media," she said. According to Kassem, detainees from Gaza were "beaten and assaulted in a monstrous way" during the celebration of Eid al-Fitr earlier this month. "I have not met one prisoner in the last week, unfortunately, who was not beaten or assaulted," she said. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "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." Abu Safiya's lawyer said even an able-bodied healthy individual would come out suffering with health conditions following Israeli detainment. Kassem stressed that Abu Safiya is not the only innocent prisoner facing such cruel conditions, but in fact, entire medical crews and even patients who were detained from inside Gaza hospitals are suffering the same. "As rights advocates and lawyers, we are ashamed to even talk about the levels of torture happening," she said, citing stomping on faces, humiliation and forced consumption of sewage water as some of the lighter treatment Palestinians face. Kassem noted that prisoners are forced to take part in acts that would be "morally denounced worldwide". "Their honour is stepped on every day, every minute. Their mistreatment is incredibly horrible." Dr Abu Safiya symbolised humanity in Gaza. Israel and the West are destroying it Read More » In the case of Abu Safiya, she says his head was hit on a metal pillar just days ago. Abu Safiya has been categorised as an "unlawful combatant" under Israel - despite him being a civilian doctor, which means there is no formal indictment against him. He is set to remain in administrative detention until at least September or October. Addameer, a Palestinian prisoners' rights group, says nearly 10,000 Palestinians are currently imprisoned, including around 400 children and 27 women. It estimates that roughly 40 percent of all Palestinian men have been detained at some point by Israel in their lifetime. The group also reports that almost 3,500 people are being held under administrative detention - imprisoned without formal charges or access to legal proceedings. In late October, Abu Safiya's son was killed by an Israeli raid on the Kamal Adwan hospital. "Despite the monstrous happenings inside the prisons, medical personnele, including Doctor Hussam Abu Safiya, until now their main concern is the state of hospitals in the Gaza Strip," Kassem said. "Until this second, the thing that he asks about is the conditions hospitals are facing amid the current and apparent genocide in Gaza."
Gulf Today
16-04-2025
- Health
- Gulf Today
Gaza hospital chief held in 'inhumane' conditions by Israel, says lawyer
The director of Gaza's Kamal Adwan hospital who was detained by Israeli forces in December is being held in "inhumane" conditions by Israel and subjected to "physical and psychological intimidation", his lawyer told the media. Hussam Abu Safiya, a 52-year-old paediatrician, rose to prominence last year by posting about the dire conditions in his besieged hospital in Beit Lahia during a major Israeli offensive. On December 27, Israeli forces began an assault on the facility which they labelled a Hamas "terrorist centre", and arrested dozens of medical staff including Abu Safiya. The military accused him of being a "Hamas operative". Abu Safiya's lawyer, Gheed Qassem, was able to visit the doctor on March 19 in Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank. "He is suffering greatly, he is exhausted from the torture, the pressure and the humiliation he has endured to force him to confess to acts he did not commit," said Qassem who met an AFP correspondent in Nazareth. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment from AFP about the conditions in which Abu Safiya is being held. 'Beatings and torture' After initially spending two weeks in the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel's Negev desert, Abu Safiya was transferred to Ofer, where Israel keeps hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. In Sde Teiman, Abu Safiya was subjected to interrogations "involving beatings, mistreatment and torture", Qassem said, before he was transferred to a cramped cell in Ofer for 25 days, where he was also subjected to questioning. The Israeli authorities have designated the medic an "illegal combatant" for an "unlimited period of time", Qassem said, and his case has been designated confidential by the military, meaning Abu Safiya's defence cannot access the files. She denounced what she said were restrictions imposed on legal visits, which have prevented lawyers from informing detainees about "the war, the date, the time or their geographic location". Her meeting with Abu Safiya, which took place under tight surveillance, lasted for only 17 minutes, she said. Adopted in 2002, Israel's law concerning "illegal combatants" permits the detention of suspected members of "hostile forces" outside of normal legal frameworks. In January, rights group Amnesty International demanded Abu Safiya's release, citing witness testimonies describing "the horrifying reality" in Israeli prisons, where Palestinian detainees are subjected to "systematic acts of torture and other mistreatment". A social media campaign using the hashtag #FreeDrHussamAbuSafiya has brought together healthcare organisations, celebrities and UN leaders. That includes the director of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who demanded Abu Safiya's release in a post on X. 'Human duty' Qassem warned that her client's health was "very worrying". "He is suffering from arterial tension, cardiac arrhythmia and vision problems," she said, adding "he has lost 20 kilos in two months and fractured four ribs during interrogations, without receiving proper medical care". The doctor remains calm, she said, but "wonders what crime he has committed" to be subjected to "such inhumane conditions". According to the lawyer, Abu Safiya's jailers are demanding that he confess to having operated on members of Hamas or Israeli hostages held in Gaza, but he has refused to do so and denies the accusations. The doctor insists that he is just a paediatrician, "and everything he did was out of a moral, professional and human duty towards the patients and the wounded", Qassem said. Since October 7, 2023, around 5,000 Gazans have been arrested by Israel, and some were subsequently released in exchange for hostages held in Gaza. In general, they are accused of "belonging to a terrorist organisation" or of posing "a threat to Israel's security," the lawyer said. Qassem said that a number of detainees are being held without charge or trial and that their lawyers often did not know where their clients were during the first months of the war. Agence France-Presse
Asharq Al-Awsat
16-04-2025
- Health
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Gaza Hospital Chief Held in 'Inhumane' Conditions by Israel, Says lawyer
The director of Gaza's Kamal Adwan hospital who was detained by Israeli forces in December is being held in "inhumane" conditions by Israel and subjected to "physical and psychological intimidation", his lawyer told AFP. Hussam Abu Safiya, a 52-year-old paediatrician, rose to prominence last year by posting about the dire conditions in his besieged hospital in Beit Lahia during a major Israeli offensive. On December 27, Israeli forces began an assault on the facility which they labelled a Hamas "terrorist centre", and arrested dozens of medical staff including Abu Safiya. Abu Safiya's lawyer, Gheed Qassem, was able to visit the doctor on March 19 in Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank. "He is suffering greatly, he is exhausted from the torture, the pressure and the humiliation he has endured to force him to confess to acts he did not commit," said Qassem who met an AFP correspondent in Nazareth. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment from AFP about the conditions in which Abu Safiya is being held. - 'Beatings and torture' - After initially spending two weeks in the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel's Negev desert, Abu Safiya was transferred to Ofer, where Israel keeps hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. In Sde Teiman, Abu Safiya was subjected to interrogations "involving beatings, mistreatment and torture", Qassem said, before he was transferred to a cramped cell in Ofer for 25 days, where he was also subjected to questioning. The Israeli authorities have designated the medic an "illegal combatant" for an "unlimited period of time", Qassem said, and his case has been designated confidential by the military, meaning Abu Safiya's defence cannot access the files. She denounced what she said were restrictions imposed on legal visits, which have prevented lawyers from informing detainees about "the war, the date, the time or their geographic location". Her meeting with Abu Safiya, which took place under tight surveillance, lasted for only 17 minutes, she said. Adopted in 2002, Israel's law concerning "illegal combatants" permits the detention of suspected members of "hostile forces" outside of normal legal frameworks. In January, rights group Amnesty International demanded Abu Safiya's release, citing witness testimonies describing "the horrifying reality" in Israeli prisons, where Palestinian detainees are subjected to "systematic acts of torture and other mistreatment". A social media campaign using the hashtag #FreeDrHussamAbuSafiya has brought together healthcare organizations, celebrities and UN leaders. That includes the director of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who demanded Abu Safiya's release in a post on X. - 'Human duty' - Qassem warned that her client's health was "very worrying". "He is suffering from arterial tension, cardiac arrhythmia and vision problems," she said, adding "he has lost 20 kilos in two months and fractured four ribs during interrogations, without receiving proper medical care". The doctor remains calm, she said, but "wonders what crime he has committed" to be subjected to "such inhumane conditions". According to the lawyer, Abu Safiya's jailers are demanding that he confess to having operated on members of Hamas or Israeli hostages held in Gaza, but he has refused to do so and denies the accusations. The doctor insists that he is just a paediatrician, "and everything he did was out of a moral, professional and human duty towards the patients and the wounded", Qassem said. Since October 7, 2023, around 5,000 Gazans have been arrested by Israel, and some were subsequently released in exchange for hostages held in Gaza. In general, they are accused of "belonging to a terrorist organizfation" or of posing "a threat to Israel's security," the lawyer said. Qassem said that a number of detainees are being held without charge or trial and that their lawyers often did not know where their clients were during the first months of the war.
Iraqi News
16-04-2025
- Iraqi News
Gaza hospital chief held in ‘inhumane' conditions by Israel
Nazareth – The director of Gaza's Kamal Adwan hospital who was detained by Israeli forces in December is being held in 'inhumane' conditions by Israel and subjected to 'physical and psychological intimidation', his lawyer told AFP. Hussam Abu Safiya, a 52-year-old paediatrician, rose to prominence last year by posting about the dire conditions in his besieged hospital in Beit Lahia during a major Israeli offensive. On December 27, Israeli forces began an assault on the facility which they labelled a Hamas 'terrorist centre', and arrested dozens of medical staff including Abu Safiya. The military accused him of being a 'Hamas operative'. Abu Safiya's lawyer, Gheed Qassem, was able to visit the doctor on March 19 in Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank. 'He is suffering greatly, he is exhausted from the torture, the pressure and the humiliation he has endured to force him to confess to acts he did not commit,' said Qassem who met an AFP correspondent in Nazareth. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment from AFP about the conditions in which Abu Safiya is being held. – 'Beatings and torture' – After initially spending two weeks in the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel's Negev desert, Abu Safiya was transferred to Ofer, where Israel keeps hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. In Sde Teiman, Abu Safiya was subjected to interrogations 'involving beatings, mistreatment and torture', Qassem said, before he was transferred to a cramped cell in Ofer for 25 days, where he was also subjected to questioning. The Israeli authorities have designated the medic an 'illegal combatant' for an 'unlimited period of time', Qassem said, and his case has been designated confidential by the military, meaning Abu Safiya's defence cannot access the files. She denounced what she said were restrictions imposed on legal visits, which have prevented lawyers from informing detainees about 'the war, the date, the time or their geographic location'. Her meeting with Abu Safiya, which took place under tight surveillance, lasted for only 17 minutes, she said. Adopted in 2002, Israel's law concerning 'illegal combatants' permits the detention of suspected members of 'hostile forces' outside of normal legal frameworks. In January, rights group Amnesty International demanded Abu Safiya's release, citing witness testimonies describing 'the horrifying reality' in Israeli prisons, where Palestinian detainees are subjected to 'systematic acts of torture and other mistreatment'. A social media campaign using the hashtag #FreeDrHussamAbuSafiya has brought together healthcare organisations, celebrities and UN leaders. That includes the director of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who demanded Abu Safiya's release in a post on X. – 'Human duty' – Qassem warned that her client's health was 'very worrying'. 'He is suffering from arterial tension, cardiac arrhythmia and vision problems,' she said, adding 'he has lost 20 kilos in two months and fractured four ribs during interrogations, without receiving proper medical care'. The doctor remains calm, she said, but 'wonders what crime he has committed' to be subjected to 'such inhumane conditions'. According to the lawyer, Abu Safiya's jailers are demanding that he confess to having operated on members of Hamas or Israeli hostages held in Gaza, but he has refused to do so and denies the accusations. The doctor insists that he is just a paediatrician, 'and everything he did was out of a moral, professional and human duty towards the patients and the wounded', Qassem said. Since October 7, 2023, around 5,000 Gazans have been arrested by Israel, and some were subsequently released in exchange for hostages held in Gaza. In general, they are accused of 'belonging to a terrorist organisation' or of posing 'a threat to Israel's security,' the lawyer said. Qassem said that a number of detainees are being held without charge or trial and that their lawyers often did not know where their clients were during the first months of the war.
