The United Nations investigation on Wednesday expressed unease over reports of mistreatment against a well-known Palestinian physician captured by the Israeli military in Gaza in December 2024 and still under detention in Israel, urging his immediate release. The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, demanded the release of Hussam Abu Safiya, who serves as the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Gaza Strip. Concerns have been raised by rights organizations and Abu Safiya’s legal counsel regarding his precarious health situation and his prolonged detention without formal charges, as highlighted by Physicians for Human Rights Israel, an Israeli rights group.
Highlighting the alleged violations of international law by the Israeli Prison Service guards towards Palestinian detainees, the UN inquiry stated that Dr. Abu Safiya’s deteriorating medical condition is a direct consequence of these actions. In response to these allegations, an Israel Prison Service spokesperson refuted the claims, labeling them as false and baseless. Despite not directly naming Abu Safiya, the IPS has previously dismissed accusations of mistreatment towards him and other medical professionals in custody.
Abu Safiya’s lawyer recently voiced concerns about his client’s well-being, claiming he faces daily abuse and his health is at risk. During a Supreme Court hearing in June, Abu Safiya appeared visibly weakened, indicating a decline in his health due to his ongoing detention. The UN inquiry noted that the treatment of Abu Safiya by Israeli authorities mirrors a broader pattern of violations identified in previous reports.
Moreover, deadly incidents unfolded in the Gaza Strip, with Israeli airstrikes and gunfire resulting in the deaths of at least nine Palestinians, including two young children aged 10 and six. Health officials reported that an Israeli airstrike near a school in Gaza City claimed one life, while 12 individuals sustained injuries in the incidents. Another airstrike in the Mawasi area in Khan Younis led to the deaths of at least four people, including a 10-year-old child. Tragically, a six-year-old boy was killed by Israeli gunfire in the Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City. Additional strikes in various parts of Gaza City resulted in three more casualties and several injuries, bringing the day’s death toll to at least nine.
Despite a ceasefire agreement mediated by the U.S. with Hamas in October 2023, Israel has continued its military operations in Gaza, citing the need to target militants posing threats to its security. Both Hamas and the U.S.-appointed Board of Peace envoy to Gaza, Nikolay Mladenov, have accused each other of violating the ceasefire terms. Since the ceasefire came into effect nine months ago, over 1,070 Palestinians, including numerous civilians, and four Israeli soldiers have lost their lives in Gaza, according to official figures provided by the conflicting parties, with Hamas not disclosing the number of its fighters killed.