Lawyer Nasser Odeh says Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya was severely beaten in Rakefet detention centre.
Odeh, who represents the 54‑year‑old Gaza hospital director, travelled to the notorious interrogation facility last Thursday and described his client as "exhausted, unable to breathe, in a very difficult physical, psychological and mental state," with bruises covering his face, neck and ears.
According to Odeh, the doctor was beaten by more than five prison guards with hands, batons and hammers after a Supreme Court appeal last month, and that he received no medical treatment.
The Israel Prison Service denied the allegations, labeling them "false and without factual basis", and said it operates within the law and provides medical care per ministry of health guidelines.
Abu Safiya was detained in December 2024 when Israeli forces forced the evacuation of Kamal Adwan Hospital, citing security concerns that the facility was a Hamas stronghold. The World Health Organization and the United Nations have repeatedly called for the protection of medical facilities and staff in Gaza.
Human rights groups including Amnesty International and Physicians for Human Rights have demanded Abu Safiya’s immediate release and medical treatment, arguing that his detention is arbitrary and likely part of a systematic practice.
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has issued an opinion calling Israel’s detention of Abu Safiya arbitrary, urging his swift release. The Israeli Supreme Court has ordered the government to respond by Tuesday to a petition seeking the release of Abu Safiya and 13 other doctors.
