The director general of Gaza’s Ministry of Health has issued an urgent appeal to save the life of Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, a prominent Palestinian physician currently held in Israeli detention. Dr. Muneer al-Boursh, speaking on behalf of the ministry, stated that immediate intervention is required before it is “too late” to prevent a fatal outcome for the doctor, noting that “serious concerns are mounting” regarding his deteriorating health and safety.
Dr. Abu Safia, a dedicated paediatrician, has been in Israeli custody since late 2024. Reports emerging from his detention facility indicate that he has been subjected to physical assault, resulting in visible injuries to his head, chest, and eyes. Dr. al-Boursh described the ongoing lack of medical care as a “source of extreme alarm that demands urgent action, not postponed statements,” emphasizing that the physician’s condition is critical.
Before his arrest, Dr. Abu Safia served as the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. He became a symbol of resilience by leading the facility through a grueling 85-day siege. Israeli forces eventually raided the hospital and detained him on December 27, 2024. Since then, he has been held without formal charges under Israel’s “unlawful combatant” law, a legal framework that permits indefinitely renewable detention. An appeal for his release was rejected by the Israeli Supreme Court in June.
Legal representatives who visited Dr. Abu Safia last month documented fresh evidence of torture and systemic abuse. International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and the United Nations Commission of Inquiry, have issued warnings that his life remains in imminent danger. Dr. al-Boursh remarked that the “irony” of the situation is “agonising,” noting that a man who risked everything to care for patients in the most desperate conditions is now being denied his own basic human rights and medical treatment.
The Ministry of Health has formally demanded that Israeli authorities provide an independent and comprehensive medical examination for Dr. Abu Safia to ensure he receives necessary care. Dr. al-Boursh called upon the Red Cross, the World Health Organization, and the broader international community to intervene, demanding freedom for him and all other healthcare workers currently detained by Israeli forces.
This appeal coincides with a broader collapse of the healthcare sector across the Gaza Strip, nearly ten months into a fragile ceasefire that is frequently violated. Correspondents report that Israeli forces continue to conduct military operations, including demolitions and artillery fire, in areas such as Khan Younis and near the Wadi Gaza Bridge. The operational space for Palestinians has shrunk significantly, with Israeli-controlled zones now encompassing over 70 percent of the territory.
The humanitarian situation remains dire as border crossings stay largely shuttered. Approximately 20,000 patients are currently awaiting medical evacuation for life-saving treatment abroad. While the region requires at least 600 aid trucks daily to meet basic needs, current deliveries are restricted to fewer than 250 vehicles. At Nasser Hospital in Deir al-Balah, medical staff report that three to four patients die every day due to the acute shortage of essential medicines and supplies.
The destruction of critical infrastructure further exacerbates the crisis; last week, an Israeli strike destroyed a major medical supply warehouse that served nearly half a million people near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN human rights office in the occupied Palestinian territories, warned that the trauma inflicted on Gaza’s population will take generations to heal. He noted that malnutrition and the lack of clean water remain unmanageable while Israel continues to block the entry of essential materials.
According to the latest data from the Gaza Health Ministry, the total death toll from the ongoing conflict has surpassed 73,000 since October 2023. In the past 24 hours alone, hospitals recorded two additional deaths and six injuries. Since the start of the current ceasefire period last October, the casualty count has reached 1,257 dead and 4,131 wounded, reflecting the persistent violence that continues to devastate the enclave’s remaining medical capacity.
The appeal came as Al Jazeera correspondents reported a sharp deterioration throughout Gaza’s health sector, nearly 10 months into a “ceasefire” that Israel continues to breach on a near-daily basis.
“The Israeli occupation has not adhered to the terms of the ceasefire, nor even to the protocol attached to this ceasefire,” said Al Jazeera’s Noor Khaled, reporting from Gaza City.
