By Palestine Chronicle Staff | July 5, 2026
Lawyers and Physicians for Human Rights warned that detained Gaza doctor Hussam Abu Safiya faces an imminent threat to his life.
Key Developments
- Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya’s lawyer said the detained Gaza doctor showed severe injuries and signs of physical and psychological collapse.
- Abu Safiya said he has been repeatedly beaten and denied adequate medical treatment since being transferred to the ‘Rekefet’ unit.
- Physicians for Human Rights demanded urgent independent medical access and an investigation into his detention conditions.
Lawyer Warns of ‘Imminent Danger’
Lawyer Nasser Odeh, who represents Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, warned on Friday that his client’s health has deteriorated dramatically following his transfer to the underground ‘Rekefet’ interrogation and detention unit inside Nitzan Prison in Ramla.
Featured Picture: Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya in the first publicly circulated image since his detention by Israeli forces in December 2024. (Photo: via Social Media)
Following a visit on July 2, Odeh and the Israeli rights organization Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) called for Abu Safiya’s immediate transfer from the unit, an independent medical examination, and an urgent judicial visit to assess his condition before it is too late.
‘The Last Time You Will See Me’
According to Odeh’s written testimony, Abu Safiya was brought to the meeting handcuffed and shackled, surrounded by masked prison guards, with visible bruises and injuries on his head, around his eyes, ears and neck.
The lawyer said the doctor’s condition had deteriorated so severely that he initially struggled to recognize him.
Odeh reported that Abu Safiya had difficulty breathing and speaking, appeared extremely weak, repeatedly lost his balance while sitting, and seemed close to losing consciousness during the meeting. He also described him as suffering from extreme psychological distress and too fearful to speak openly because of possible reprisals.
According to the lawyer, Abu Safiya told him that guards assaulted him shortly after an Israeli Supreme Court appeal hearing while he was being held in solitary confinement at Ganot Prison.
He said four or five prison guards entered his cell and beat him across his body using batons and a hammer.
Abu Safiya added that since his transfer to the Rekefet unit, he has been subjected to daily beatings, repeatedly lost consciousness, and has been denied adequate medical care.
“The last time you will see me… They brought me here to kill me… I don’t see myself alive… This is the end,” Odeh quoted his client as saying.
Urgent Appeals
Following the visit, Odeh submitted an urgent request to the Israeli Prison Service demanding an immediate end to the alleged abuse, Abu Safiya’s transfer to another detention facility, and access to comprehensive medical treatment.
Physicians for Human Rights simultaneously appealed to several Israeli authorities, including the government’s legal adviser, the Prison Service and relevant Knesset committees, demanding that an independent body be allowed to visit Abu Safiya and conduct an urgent medical examination.
The organization warned that any delay could place the doctor’s life in immediate danger.
Detained Without Charge
Israeli occupation authorities have held Abu Safiya since December 27, 2024, under the Unlawful Combatants Law, without filing charges or initiating criminal proceedings.
After a court extended his detention by another six months, Israel’s Supreme Court rejected his appeal on June 10, 2026.
Meanwhile, Physicians for Human Rights petitioned Israel’s High Court on April 30 seeking the release of Abu Safiya and several other Palestinian doctors detained without charge.
The organization noted that Abu Safiya was transferred from Ketziot Prison to solitary confinement in Ganot following those legal proceedings before being moved to the Rekefet unit at Nitzan Prison on June 24.
According to PHR, the sharp deterioration in his physical and psychological condition began after those legal challenges were initiated.
Secret Detention Unit
Physicians for Human Rights described Rekefet as a secret underground interrogation and detention unit inside Nitzan Prison that has previously been the subject of allegations involving torture and severe mistreatment of detainees.
Calling Odeh’s account “one of the most shocking testimonies since the beginning of the war,” PHR official Naji Abbas said the information received by the organization points to “grave and immediate concern” for Abu Safiya’s life.
The organization renewed its call for an immediate independent investigation into the alleged torture of Palestinian detainees and demanded the unconditional release of Abu Safiya and other Palestinian medical workers held without charge or trial.
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