Yes, I cannot understand why Israel has not released the healthcare workers it is holding without charge. The case of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya is particularly puzzling and concerning,
In December 2024, Abu Safiya was interviewed on multiple international news outlets; on 23 December, he told NBC News that Israeli sniper fire and tank shells had damaged Kamal Adwan Hospital's nursery and maternity ward, among others.[9]
On 27 December, the IDF carried out a forced evacuation of the hospital's staff and patients. Footage was released of Abu Safiya leaving the hospital and approaching an Israeli tank, where he shook hands with a soldier and stated that there was no one left in the hospital before entering the tank. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that Abu Safiya had been taken to a detention centre to be interrogated.[9] The IDF reported that 240 people had been detained following the hospital's evacuation, describing it as being a "Hamas terrorist stronghold".[4] Females at the hospital, including Abu Safiya's wife, were evacuated to Indonesia Hospital, and Kamal Adwan Hospital was declared unoperational.[5]
On 2 January 2025, Physicians for Human Rights - Israel submitted a request on behalf of Abu Safiya's family requesting information on his whereabouts. After initially stating that it had "no indication" of Abu Safiya being either arrested or detained, on 3 January the IDF confirmed that he was being investigated on suspicion of "holding a rank" within Hamas.[4][8] While Abu Safiya's location was not shared, Front Line Defenders and the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor both reported that testimonies from multiple Palestinian detainees suggested that after initially being interrogated and beaten at a site in Al-Fakhura in Jabalia, Abu Safiya had been taken to the Sde Teiman detention camp in the Negev, and that his health had declined significantly since being detained.[7][10]Detainees who had worked with Abu Safiya at Kamal Adwan Hospital denied that he had been a member of Hamas.[10]
On 9 January 2025, Abu Safiya attended a court hearing at Ashkelon Magistrates' Court, where his detention was extended to 13 February. The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights reported that he had been prohibited from accessing a lawyer until 22 January and that he and his family had not been informed that he would be attending a hearing in Ashkelon.[8][11]
On 11 February 2025, Abu Safiya was allowed to meet his lawyer in Ofer Prison, located in the occupied West Bank. During their meeting, he reported being subjected to various forms of torture and abuse, including being forcibly stripped, tightly shackled, and forced to sit on sharp gravel for hours. He also endured violent physical assaults, such as beatings with batons and electric shock sticks. Abu Safiya described being held in solitary confinement for 25 days, during which he was subjected to nearly constant interrogation for 10 days. Despite multiple requests for medical care, Israeli authorities denied him treatment for his heart condition.[12][13]
Abu Safiya's lawyer visited him again on 19 March 2025 in Ofer Prison. She expressed concern about his health stating "He is suffering from arterial tension, cardiac arrhythmia and vision problems," and that "he has lost 20 kilos in two months and fractured four ribs during interrogations, without receiving proper medical care". She claims Abu Safiya is being tortured to get him to confess to operating on Hamas members, which he denies.[14]
On 13 July 2025, Abu Safiya's lawyer reported that he had lost over 40kg while imprisoned and had sustained multiple injuries from a beating on 24 June. The lawyer also said he is being kept in solitary confinement and is being denied medical care for an irregular heartbeat.[15]
On 16 October 2025, an Israeli court extended Abu Safiya's administrative detention for a further six months.[16]
https://www.amnesty.org/en/petition/release-dr-hussam-abu-safiya/