Gaza, MINA – An Israeli court has extended the detention of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, for an additional six months, the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights said Thursday.
Abu Safiya, 52, was arrested by the Israeli army from inside Kamal Adwan Hospital in December 2024, during one of the military’s large-scale operations in northern Gaza.
According to the rights group, Abu Safiya appeared before the Bir al-Sabi’ court via video conference, where his detention was extended under Israel’s “unlawful combatant” law, a measure often criticized by rights organizations for enabling indefinite detention without trial.
Al Mezan’s lawyer, who attended the hearing, objected to the decision, arguing that no formal charges or evidence had been presented against Abu Safiya, making the detention both illegal and unjustified.
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The center condemned the court’s ruling, describing it as a “serious violation of international law and the protections afforded to medical personnel.” It added that the hospital director has been denied basic legal rights, including access to evidence and the opportunity to defend himself.
“This effectively makes him a hostage held arbitrarily by Israel, without any legal basis or fair judicial proceedings, in a flagrant breach of human rights and international humanitarian law,” the organization said.
Since October 2023, Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed nearly 68,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, devastating the health sector. A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas took effect last week.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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