Is Kamal Adwan Hospital director in notorious prison? Family seeks answers

Palestinians released from Sde Teiman prison say Dr Hussam Abu Safiya is being held at the military site infamous for torture and abuse.

Since his arrest, Safiya has not been seen publicly. / Photo: AA
AA

Since his arrest, Safiya has not been seen publicly. / Photo: AA

The whereabouts of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, remain unknown after his detention by Israeli forces during a hospital raid on December 27.

His family and colleagues are growing increasingly concerned for his safety as reports suggest he may be held at Sde Teiman, a notorious Israeli military detention facility.

The uncertainty surrounding Safiya’s fate is fueling fears that he may suffer the same brutal treatment as other detainees in the facility, which is infamous for torture, rape and other forms of physical abuse.

Safiya was detained during an Israeli military raid on the hospital, the last major functioning health facility in northern Gaza.

The raid forced the evacuation of staff and patients, and several intensive care patients have been confirmed dead after the Israeli army set fire to multiple sections of the hospital.

The Israeli military claimed the hospital was being used by Hamas, but was unable to provide any evidence to support these allegations. They also accused the hospital director of “being a Hamas terrorist operative”.

Following Safiya’s detention, his family released a statement regarding his fate.

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“We do not know the fate of our father,” the family said.

“Currently, our father is suffering from severe cold, and many of you have heard from eyewitnesses who were released about how he was forced to remove his clothes, including his medical coat, and was used as a human shield.”

Since his arrest, Safiya has not been seen publicly.

His family’s appeals for information have gone unanswered, and there is growing concern that he may be held at the Sde Teiman prison in the Negev desert near the Gaza border.

This facility has long been a subject of concern for human rights organisations, with reports of extreme abuse and torture of Palestinian detainees.

Two former detainees released this weekend from Sde Teiman reported seeing Safiya or hearing his name called out in the prison, according to CNN.

Ahmad Al Sayyed Saleem, an 18-year-old former detainee from northern Gaza, recalled seeing a doctor from the Abu Safiya family brought into the prison.

Saleem is also from northern Gaza and was detained 42 days ago at an Israeli checkpoint when he evacuated northern Gaza.

Saleem said that he knew Dr Safiya.

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Another former detainee, Yahya Zaqout, who was held at Sde Teiman for over 40 days, also confirmed hearing Safiya’s name being called during roll calls.

“I heard them calling his name between the names they call every morning and night, and we had men that were brought to our cell and told us they were detained along with Dr Hussam”.

Alaa Abu Banat, a former inmate detained 43 days ago on his way home, said he knew Abu Safiya and that a medical team from Kamal Adwan Hospital was brought into Sde Teiman.

“They are all still in detention. They treated them really badly, especially the doctors,” he said.

Abu Banat said one man who shared his cell told him he is a doctor and said he was beaten “until his eye was bleeding”.

Human rights groups have documented numerous instances of torture and abuse at Sde Teiman, and the Israeli government has faced mounting pressure to address these allegations.

Amnesty International has expressed deep concern over Dr Safiya’s detention.

“We are extremely concerned over the fate and well-being of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital who was detained by Israeli forces along with others during a raid on the hospital on 27 December. He must be released immediately and unconditionally,” it said.

Dr Safiya’s family has also called for international intervention to pressure Israeli authorities to disclose his location and ensure his humane treatment.

“We urge you to act, to apply media pressure, and to amplify calls for action through reports and advocacy to pressure the occupation forces to release him as soon as possible.”

Dr Safiya has been a key figure in northern Gaza’s healthcare system, providing critical care to civilians amid the ongoing Israeli onslaught.

Kamal Adwan Hospital, which has been targeted multiple times by Israeli airstrikes, became a vital lifeline for many in the region.

Despite the dangers, Dr Safiya remained at the hospital, even after losing his 21-year-old son, Ibrahim, in an Israeli air strike in October.

“I refused to leave the hospital and sacrifice my patients, so the army punished me by killing my son,” Dr Safiya told reporters earlier this year.

On October 26, the hospital director and paediatrician led funeral prayers for his son in the hospital courtyard.

The raid on December 27 was the latest in a series of attacks on the hospital.

Several patients, including those in intensive care, died after Israeli forces cut off their oxygen supply.

Despite threats of arrest, Dr Safiya and his medical staff refused to comply with the evacuation orders, putting their lives at risk to care for the remaining patients.

MedGlobal, a US-based nonprofit with which Dr Safiya has worked, condemned his arrest and called for his immediate release.

“Dr. Abu Safiya has dedicated his life to protecting the health and lives of children in Gaza, providing care under conditions no medical professional should have to endure,” said Dr. Zaher Sahloul, president of MedGlobal.

“His arrest is not only unjust – it is a violation of international humanitarian law, which upholds the protection of medical personnel in conflict zones. We urgently call for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr Abu Safiya.”

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