The ceasefire may have given temporary relief to Gazans, but at least 95 Palestinian medicas are still under Israeli custody. This includes Dr Hussam Abu Safia, who is being held without any charges or trial under Israel's Unlawful Combatants Law.
Of the 95 detainees, 80 are from Gaza and 15 are from West Bank. The Gazan detainees include 31 nurses, 17 physicians, 15 hospital support employees, 14 paramedics, two pharmacists and one medical technician, reports Al Jazeera.
Gheed Kassem, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya’s lawyer, posted seven hours ago a horrific update on her Facebook accounts regarding the abducted doctor. Here is a translation:
— Mosab Abu Toha (@MosabAbuToha) July 14, 2025
Dr. Hussam Abu Safia is not well.
I visited him last on July 9, 2025. What I saw was heartbreaking.
Since his… pic.twitter.com/Iw3BXzKCh7
Out of the 80 prisoners, 36 are from North Gaza, 24 from Khan Younis, 18 from Gaza City and three from Rafah. These include one woman.
Who is Dr Hussam Abu Safia?
Dr Hussam Abu Safia, who detention was recently extended for another six months, is the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza. He was arrested by Israel on December 27, 2024 during a raid on the hospital.
Abu Safia's son was killed in an Israeli airstrike but he continued to treat patients. There are reports alleging that he was tortured and abused physically. He has also been denied proper medical care and legal counsel.
Out of the 431 Palestinian healthcare workers detained between October 7, 2023 and October 20, 2025, only 309 have been released so far. These include the 67 workers released on October 13, as part of a hostage exchange.
Three senior physicians, a senior physiotherapist and an UNRWA pharmacist are still missing. Five healthcare workers have been killed during Israeli detention, according to reports. Their mortal remains have not been returned to their families.
