Gaza Ministry of Health Director General Dr Muneer al-Boursh called for urgent action on Saturday to save the life of detained Palestinian paediatrician Dr Hussam Abu Safia before it is too late, as mounting health sector crises grip the enclave nearly 10 months into a fragile ceasefire. Abu Safia, the former director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, has been held by Israel since December 27, 2024, without charge under the unlawful combatant law.
According to Dr Muneer al-Boursh, serious concerns are mounting over the detained physician’s life and health following reports that he has been assaulted in an Israeli detention facility. Abu Safia has reportedly sustained injuries to his eye, head, and chest, prompting al-Boursh to state that his condition is a source of extreme alarm demanding urgent intervention rather than postponed statements. Abu Safia led Kamal Adwan Hospital through an 85-day siege before Israeli forces raided the facility and detained him.
Legal Status and Detention Conditions of Dr Hussam Abu Safia
Abu Safia remains detained under Israel’s unlawful combatant law, which permits indefinitely renewable detention without formal charges. In June, the Israeli Supreme Court rejected an appeal for his release. A lawyer who visited the detained paediatrician last month reported observing new signs of beatings and torture. International rights organisations, including Amnesty International and the United Nations Commission of Inquiry, have repeatedly warned that his life remains in imminent danger.
Al-Boursh described the situation as an agonising irony, noting that Abu Safia stayed by his patients’ side at Kamal Adwan Hospital during the bleakest circumstances before being stripped of his freedom. The Ministry of Health holds Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for the physician’s safety and demands an urgent, independent, and comprehensive medical examination alongside necessary treatment. Al-Boursh also appealed to the Red Cross, the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and various human rights groups to secure freedom for Abu Safia and all detained healthcare workers.
Deteriorating Health Sector Amid Continued Ceasefire Breaches
The urgent appeal for Abu Safia coincides with a severe decline across Gaza’s medical infrastructure. Al Jazeera correspondents report that Israel continues to breach the terms and protocols of the ceasefire on a near-daily basis. On Saturday, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that three Palestinians were injured by Israeli army fire north of Khan Younis. Israeli forces also conducted extensive demolition operations south of the city, while military vehicles fired east of Salah al-Din Street near the Wadi Gaza Bridge.
Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera correspondent Noor Khaled stated that Israeli-controlled yellow zones now encompass more than 70 percent of the Gaza Strip, leaving Palestinians confined to less than 30 percent, which is mostly destroyed. Border crossings remain largely closed, stranding approximately 20,000 patients awaiting medical evacuation abroad. Furthermore, aid deliveries fall significantly short, with incoming aid trucks not exceeding 250 vehicles daily compared to the required 600.
Did You Know? Dr Hussam Abu Safia directed Kamal Adwan Hospital, which served as one of the last functioning medical facilities in northern Gaza, successfully navigating an 85-day siege before Israeli forces raided the building and detained him on December 27, 2024.
Hospital Fatalities and UN Warnings on Gaza Infrastructure
In Deir al-Balah, correspondent Ashraf Abu Amra reported that Nasser Hospital documented three to four patient deaths daily due to critical shortages of medicines and medical supplies. This follows an incident last week where Israeli forces destroyed a medical supply warehouse in a direct strike near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, a facility that previously served nearly half a million people.
Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN human rights office in the occupied Palestinian territories, informed Al Jazeera that Gaza’s health system stands among the hardest hit sectors in the enclave. Sunghay warned that recovery from the widespread trauma and loss will take generations, noting that ongoing obstacles to the entry of dual-use materials continue to block essential efforts to address malnutrition, collapsing shelter, and clean drinking water shortages.
Casualty Totals and Ceasefire Impact
Gaza’s Health Ministry recorded that local hospitals received two individuals who succumbed to previous wounds and six newly injured patients over a recent 24-hour period. These figures raise the total casualties recorded since last October’s ceasefire to 1,257 deaths and 4,131 wounded. Since the broader conflict began in October 2023, military operations have killed more than 73,000 Palestinians across the enclave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Dr Hussam Abu Safia?
Dr Hussam Abu Safia is a Palestinian paediatrician and the former director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza who was detained by Israeli forces on December 27, 2024.
According to Gaza Ministry of Health Director General Dr Muneer al-Boursh and legal representatives, Abu Safia has been assaulted in detention, sustaining injuries to his eye, head, and chest while lacking necessary medical care.
What is the status of Gaza’s health sector under the ceasefire?
Correspondents report a sharp deterioration in health services due to daily ceasefire breaches, severe medical and supply shortages, closed crossings preventing patient evacuations, and the destruction of vital medical warehouses.
? What steps should international bodies take to address the mounting crises facing detained medical personnel and collapsing health infrastructure in Gaza?