Geneva, July 6, 2026
Dr. Abu Safiya is the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. On December 27, 2024, Israeli forces raided the hospital and ordered him to evacuate patients and staff before arresting him. He was held incommunicado for over a month, with Israeli authorities initially denying his detention. He has since been held without charge under the Unlawful Combatants Law, which allows Palestinians to be detained indefinitely without trial, on the basis of secret evidence. Speaking about his time in custody, Dr. Abu Safiya has described being subjected to torture and ill-treatment, including repeated beatings that left him with broken ribs, and denial of medical care. His case has drawn sustained international attention, with the World Health Organisation, Amnesty International, and UN Special Rapporteurs among those calling for his release.
The Working Group found that Dr. Abu Safiya’s detention is arbitrary under international law, including international human rights and humanitarian law, on three separate grounds. First, it ruled that his detention has no legal basis, since he was never informed of the reasons for his arrest or of any charges against him, and was denied prompt access to a court to challenge his detention. Second, it found that his right to a fair trial has been violated, citing the use of secret evidence that neither he nor his lawyer could access, and the reversal of the presumption of innocence under the Unlawful Combatants Law. The Working Group is extremely concerned by the allegations of torture and ill-treatment against him. Third, it found his detention to be discriminatory, noting that the systematic denial of his procedural rights reflects the broader treatment of Palestinians held under the Unlawful Combatants Law, and that his case “may indicate systematic targeting of health professionals.”
In its opinion, the Working Group also noted that Dr. Abu Safiya’s case is one of several it has ruled on involving arbitrary detention by Israeli authorities in recent years, warning that this may point to a “widespread or systematic practice,” and concluding that Dr. Abu Safiya’s immediate release, along with an enforceable right to compensation and reparations under international law is the only appropriate remedy.
“Dr. Abu Safiya’s case is emblematic of Israel’s systematic targeting of Palestinian healthcare workers, which has contributed to the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system as part of Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people,” said Tanya Boulakovski, Senior Legal Officer and Research Lead at MENA Rights Group.
MENA Rights Group welcomes this opinion and reiterates the Working Group’s call for Israel to immediately release Dr. Abu Safiya. We further call for the release of the hundreds of healthcare workers, among the thousands of Palestinians, arbitrarily detained by Israel.
