Dr Hussam Abu Safiya was detained after Israel stormed the Kamal Adwan Hospital and burned it down [Getty}
Israeli forces confirmed on Friday that they abducted Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the Director of Gaza’s destroyed Kamal Adwan Hospital and accused the prominent Palestinian physician of “holding a position with Hamas”.
In a statement on Friday, Israeli forces said Abu Safiya “is currently under investigation by Israeli security forces” and that he “was arrested on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities”.
The news came after days of doubt and worry over the Palestinian physician’s fate.
Abu Safiya was abducted on December 27 along with medical staff working in the hospital, as well as wounded patients and others present inside the building in Beit Lahia.
Israeli forces deliberately set fire to the medical facility after bombing it for weeks, with reports that some staff were burned alive.
Abu Safiya was taken to the notorious Sde Teiman detention camp, where Palestinian prisoners have been horrifically tortured before, according to his son, Idrees Abu Safiya and Israeli forces.
Idrees was told that his dad was badly injured in his leg during a raid on the hospital by Israeli soldiers. “We are so worried, we haven’t been able to sleep for three days because we didn’t know until today where he is,” he said.
Abu Safiya’s abduction came after the Israeli army stormed the facility to force those present inside to evacuate before setting fire to it.
The medical centre contained about 350 people, including 75 injured patients and their companions. It was the largest medical facility in northern Gaza, serving more than 400,000 people before the start of Israel’s war on Gaza.
Before the attack, the Israeli army launched dozens of air and artillery strikes on the houses surrounding the hospital and targeting parts of the building, killing several medical workers and patients as well as dozens of residents hiding inside their homes nearby.
Israel however has dismissed claims that Abu Safiya was arrested, despite substantial evidence to the contrary, including videos and photographs that indicate his detention. Testimonies from previously released detainees have also corroborated his arrest.
Physicians for Human Rights filed a request on behalf of Dr Abu Safiya’s family to allow a lawyer to visit him. Albina Abu Safiya, Hussam’s wife, previously told The New Arab: “The only thing that I am sure about is that the Israeli army tortured my husband even though he was wounded.
“My husband did not commit any crime to be arrested this way. All he cared about was helping the wounded and sick and saving their lives, despite the lack of the necessary medical capabilities for that, at a time when Israel continues to target everything in northern Gaza.”
In response, the Israeli army claimed that there was no record of his arrest, prompting the organisation to file an urgent petition to ascertain his fate.
At least 320 medical personnel have been detained by Israel since its indiscriminate war on Gaza began in October 2023.
Human rights groups have widely condemned the arrest of medical professionals and the destruction of medical facilities. Israel has also killed dozens of doctors and other medical professionals in Gaza.
The World Health Organization said it was “appalled” by Kamal Adwan’s raid, saying “hospitals have once again become battlegrounds”.
The UN health agency has verified at least 50 attacks on medical workers at or near the hospital since early October this year. It never attributes blame for attacks.
