Gaza hospital director suffered torture in Israeli detention, lawyer says

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, suffered “continuous and extremely brutal mistreatment, torture, and abuse” during his more than 70 days in Israeli custody, according to a Palestinian lawyer who recently visited him.

Attorney Ghaid Qassem met with Abu Safiya last Thursday at Ofer Prison, located west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to a statement from the Hamas-affiliated Prisoners’ Media Office.

“From the first moment of his arrest, Abu Safiya was transferred to the notorious Sde Teiman detention center, where he was held in solitary confinement for 14 days,” Qassem said, quoting the Palestinian doctor. The detention center is located in the Negev desert in southern Israel.

Israeli forces arrested Abu Safiya at gunpoint in late December after raiding Kamal Adwan Hospital. The military operation left the medical facility inoperable, further straining Gaza’s collapsing healthcare system.

During his detention, Abu Safiya endured grueling interrogation sessions, with “the longest session lasting for 13 consecutive days, with each session ranging from eight to ten hours,” according to Qassem’s account.

The Israeli military has not publicly responded to these allegations of prisoner mistreatment.

Abu Safiya’s case highlights ongoing concerns about the treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody, an issue that has drawn increased international scrutiny during the Gaza conflict.