Israeli Detention of 16 Gaza Doctors Sparks International Health‑Rights Outcry

The Palestinian Center for the Defense of Prisoners reports that Israel is holding 16 doctors from the Gaza Strip in harsh conditions, including solitary confinement, denial of family visits, starvation, medical neglect and harsh interrogation. Among them, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, has been beaten, left bleeding, denied painkillers and access to his medical file, and is confined in the underground Rakefet facility.

Human‑rights groups, including Physicians for Human Rights Israel, and activists worldwide are demanding the immediate release of all detained medical staff, calling the policy a systematic attack on Gaza’s health sector. Israel’s interior ministry told the Supreme Court there is no indication of life‑threatening conditions, while the detainees’ families and international observers warn of severe risk to their lives and to the provision of health care for the Palestinian population.