AhlulBayt News Agency: Gaza’s Ministry of Health has urged the international community to intervene in the case of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, calling for efforts to uncover his fate and secure his release as the first anniversary of his abduction by Israeli forces approaches.
“We call on the nations of the world to ensure Abu Safiya’s release, reveal his condition, and guarantee his protection under international law,” wrote Dr. Munir al‑Bursh, director general of the ministry, in a statement posted on Telegram on Friday.
Bursh stressed that doctors must never be targeted, saying that abducting them is an assault on the very foundation of justice.
He explained that Abu Safiya was not taken for carrying weapons or harming anyone, but for his humanitarian dedication, armed only with his stethoscope and compassion, serving lives in need when the world abandoned them.
Bursh noted that Abu Safiya was a prominent figure in Gaza’s hospitals and operating rooms, constantly aiding the wounded during Israeli attacks. Yet he was abducted, denied contact with his family, and stripped of the ability to continue his vital medical work.
He insisted that Israel must be held accountable for the crimes of abducting and torturing doctors and paramedics.
Bursh appealed to international and human rights organizations to act in defense of Gaza’s medical teams and to secure Abu Safiya’s release.
On December 27, 2024, Israeli forces stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, shutting down the last major medical facility still functioning in northern Gaza.
Human rights groups have demanded Abu Safiya’s immediate release, but Israel has ignored these calls.
In July, Abu Safiya’s lawyer reported that his client was being starved and tortured by Israeli forces and was in critical condition.
Ramy Abdu wrote on X that he visited Abu Safiya on July 9, noting that his physical and mental health was deteriorating daily.
“He has lost more than 40 kilograms, over one‑third of his body weight. At the time of his abduction, he weighed 100 kilograms; now he weighs no more than 60 kilograms.”
“On June 24, 2025, he was viciously beaten. His cell (Room 1, Section 24, Ofer Prison) was raided, and he was assaulted in the chest, face, head, back, and neck, sustaining severe bruises. The beating lasted about 30 minutes,” Abdu wrote.
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