A U.S. human-rights body has declared the detention of Gaza paediatrician Hussam Abu Safiya arbitrary and called for his immediate release.
The case highlights growing concerns over the treatment of medical professionals and detainees in Israeli custody, where legal advocates report severe physical abuse and deteriorating health.
Abu Safiya, 52 [1], has been held by Israel since 2024 [2]. His lawyer said the doctor was severely beaten in the Israeli jail and is now almost unrecognisable after the injuries. According to the lawyer, these conditions have placed the doctor in imminent danger of death.
The U.S. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued a statement from Geneva on July 6, 2024 [3]. The group said the detention is arbitrary and poses a serious risk to his health [3].
Reports on the circumstances of the doctor's capture vary. Some accounts describe the event as an abduction by Israeli forces, while others refer to it as a detention following legal procedures. Despite these differing characterisations, the U.S. body maintains that the legal basis for his continued captivity is insufficient.
The lawyer said to The Guardian that the injuries sustained by Abu Safiya are so extensive that his identity is difficult to verify visually. This physical decline has prompted urgent calls from both the U.S. and the doctor's family for a swift resolution to his case to prevent a death in custody.
“"He was severely beaten in Israeli jail," the doctor's lawyer said.”
The U.N.'s designation of 'arbitrary' suggests that the detention of Dr. Abu Safiya lacks a valid legal basis under international law. When combined with reports of severe physical abuse, this case may be used by international bodies to argue for systemic failures in the treatment of Gazan detainees and the targeting of healthcare workers during the conflict.
