Gaza health chief calls for urgent action to save detained Dr. Hussam Abu Safia

Dr. Muneer al-Boursh, the director general of Gaza’s Ministry of Health, has issued an urgent plea for action to protect the life of Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, a Palestinian pediatrician detained by Israel.

Dr. Abu Safia, the former director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, was detained by Israeli forces on December 27, 2024, following an 85-day siege of the facility. He is currently being held without charge under Israel's unlawful combatant law. Reports indicate that Abu Safia has sustained injuries to his eye, head, and chest, with his lawyer reporting signs of potential beatings and torture during detention.

Rights groups, including Amnesty International and the United Nations Commission of Inquiry, have expressed concerns regarding his imminent physical danger. Dr. al-Boursh has called upon the Red Cross, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations to intervene and demand an independent medical examination for Abu Safia.