BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 8, A United Nations commission has called for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Gaza's Kamal Adwan Hospital, saying his health has seriously deteriorated during his 19-month detention by Israeli authorities.
In a statement, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel said Dr. Abu Safiya, who has been detained since December 2024, has allegedly been subjected to continuous mistreatment that may amount to international crimes.
The commission also called for the release of all Palestinian healthcare workers who it said are being held in arbitrary detention.
According to the commission, military operations targeting medical personnel formed part of a broader policy aimed at destroying Gaza's healthcare system. It reiterated its previous findings that attacks on the medical sector constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of genocide.
The commission urged Israel to provide Dr. Abu Safiya with immediate and independent medical care.
Israel has previously denied systematically targeting medical personnel or healthcare facilities, saying that armed groups have operated from within medical infrastructure.
Dr. Abu Safiya was detained by the Israeli military during a raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia on December 27, 2024, and, according to the commission, has remained in detention without charge or trial.
