UN inquiry calls for release of Palestinian doctor held by Israel

A United Nations inquiry on Wednesday voiced concern over reports that a prominent Palestinian doctor has been abused while in Israeli custody and called for his immediate release.

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, urged Israel to free Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Gaza Strip, who has been detained since being arrested by the Israeli military in Gaza in December 2024.

According to the commission, Abu Safiya remains in detention without charge. His lawyer and the Israeli rights group Physicians for Human Rights Israel have warned that his health has deteriorated and said his life is at risk.

In a statement, the UN inquiry said the reported treatment of Palestinian detainees by the Israeli Prison Service raised serious concerns about possible violations of international law that could amount to international crimes. It added that Abu Safiya's current medical condition was a direct result of his treatment in custody.

Earlier this week, Abu Safiya's lawyer said he had been subjected to daily abuse and that his health was in serious danger. During a hearing before Israel's Supreme Court in Jerusalem in June, which he attended via video link, Abu Safiya appeared visibly thinner.

The UN commission said the reported treatment of Abu Safiya was consistent with what it described as a wider pattern of violations documented in its earlier reports.