UN commission urges Israel to release arbitrarily detained Gaza hospital director

A UN commission on Wednesday called on Israel to immediately release Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, and all Palestinian medical personnel held in arbitrary detention, expressing concern over reports that he has been subjected to “severe abuse” while in custody, Anadolu reports.

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel issued a statement expressing grave concern over credible reports that Abu Safiya has been subjected to ongoing abuse since his detention by Israeli authorities in December 2024.

The commission called for his “immediate, unconditional and safe release” and urged Israeli authorities to provide him with immediate independent medical care.

It said the continued arbitrary detention of Palestinian medical personnel and their alleged mistreatment constitute “deplorable and flagrant violations of international law.”

According to the commission, the reported treatment of Abu Safiya reflects what it described as a broader pattern of violations documented in its previous reports, in which it found that Israeli security forces “deliberately killed, wounded, detained and severely mistreated medical personnel.”

The commission reiterated its previous findings that such acts constituted the war crimes of willful killing and torture, as well as the crime against humanity of extermination.

It also referred to its previous conclusion that Israeli authorities committed genocide through a policy of targeting Gaza’s healthcare system and medical professionals since October 2023.

The commission urged Israel to release Abu Safiya and all arbitrarily detained Palestinians while adhering to international humanitarian and human rights law and stated that it would continue to investigate alleged violations and share evidence with relevant judicial authorities.

READ: Israel places detained Gaza hospital director Dr Hussam Abu Safiya in solitary confinement