UN inquiry urges release of Palestinian doctor jailed by Israel
Israeli activists hold placards and chant slogans in Tel Aviv on 6 July 2026 during a rally calling for release of Palestinian prisoner, Dr Hussam Abu Safia
Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters report in Al Jazeera on 8 July 2026:
A United Nations inquiry commission has called for Israel to immediately release a Palestinian doctor it has jailed without charge for more than 18 months.
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory made the appeal on Wednesday for Hussam Abu Safia, the 52-year-old director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, saying there are credible reports he has faced “continued and severe abuse”.
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“The Commission calls for the immediate, unconditional and safe release of Dr. Abu Safiya and of all medical personnel held in arbitrary detention by Israel,” the commission said in a statement, using a slightly different spelling of the doctor’s name. “It also urges the Israeli authorities to provide immediate independent medical care for Dr. Abu Safiya.”
‘Grave concerns’
Israeli authorities detained Abu Safia along with other medical staff and patients in December 2024. They classified him as an “unlawful combatant”, a designation Israel has used to hold Palestinians for prolonged periods without trial. In the statement urging his release, the commission said Israeli authorities’ reported conduct towards Abu Safia reflects a broader pattern of violations that it identified in previous reports.
“The actions of the Israeli Prison Service guards towards Palestinian detainees raise grave concerns of violations of international law that likely amount to international crimes. Dr. Abu Safiya’s medical condition is the direct result of these actions.”
The Reuters news agency quoted an Israel Prison Service (IPS) spokesperson as rejecting the inquiry commission’s claims as “false, outrageous, and entirely without factual basis”.