Amnesty International demands immediate release of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya following Israeli abduction

Amnesty International has expressed "extreme concern" over the fate and wellbeing of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, who was abudcted by Israeli forces during a raid on the hospital on 27 December. The organisation is calling for his "immediate and unconditional" release.

"For months, Dr. Abu Safiya has been the voice of Gaza’s decimated health sector, appealing for the protection of his hospital and working under inhumane conditions, including after the killing of his son," Amnesty said. "The raid, the latest in a series of attacks on healthcare facilities in North Gaza over the past two months, left Kamal Adwan— the last remaining major hospital in the area— out of service."

Amnesty also highlighted the broader issue of Israeli detention practices, noting that since the onset of its military onslought in Gaza, Israel has detained hundreds of Palestinian healthcare workers without charge or trial. These workers, the organisation stated, have been subjected to torture, ill-treatment, and incommunicado detention.

"The international community, especially Israel’s allies, must act to end Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza," Amnesty concluded, demanding the immediate release of all Palestinians arbitrarily detained, including healthcare workers. Hospitals and health workers, the organisation reiterated, are not legitimate targets.