Israeli Supreme Court upholds detention of Gaza doctor

Israel's highest court on Tuesday dismissed a legal challenge to the detention of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and sanctioned his ongoing imprisonment under the “unlawful combatant” designation without formal charges, his lawyer Nasser Odeh said. Abu Safiya served as director of Gaza's Kamal Adwan Hospital. He has been held since Israeli forces stormed the medical facility on Dec. 27, 2024 during military operations in northern Gaza.

Legal challenge rejected

Odeh stated that the ruling is “in clear contradiction with international law and the Geneva Conventions, which provide special protection for medical personnel during armed conflicts.” The attorney noted that Abu Safiya remains isolated in solitary confinement at Nafha prison, where he is denied adequate medical care and basic rights guaranteed under humanitarian law.

Detention conditions

“Abu Safiya remains held in solitary confinement in Nafha prison under harsh detention conditions, deprived of necessary medical treatment and the most basic rights guaranteed to him,” Odeh said. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have documented allegations of abuse and mistreatment against the pediatrician since his detention began, while rights groups previously reported that he has suffered severe weight loss and skin infections.

Prison population crisis

Palestinian and Israeli rights groups estimate that approximately 9,500 Palestinians remain in Israeli prisons, where detainees face torture, starvation and medical neglect that have caused dozens of deaths. Israel’s war in Gaza since October 2023 has killed nearly 73,000 Palestinians and injured more than 173,000, most of them women and children, according to Palestinian figures. Despite a ceasefire that took effect last October, the Israeli army has killed 981 Palestinians and injured 3,104 in near-daily attacks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.