Gazan Doctor Held Over 500 Days Without Charge Appears at Israeli Supreme Court as Appeal Is Heard

Hussam Abu Safiya appeared via video link at the Israeli Supreme Court in Jerusalem on June 10, 2026. The hearing marked the first time he has been seen publicly since February 2025. Abu Safiya was captured by the Israeli military from Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, in late 2024.

He has been held without charge for more than 500 days, according to Physicians for Human Rights Israel. The doctor appeared noticeably thinner in his face and around his abdomen. He wore a white t-shirt and grey tracksuit pants and remained handcuffed and shackled throughout the proceedings.

Lawyer Nasser Odeh told reporters after the hearing that Abu Safiya is held in solitary confinement. Odeh said Abu Safiya is receiving medical treatment for severe neck and back pain caused by an assault during detention, as well as medications for a chronic illness.

Odeh added that Abu Safiya's eyeglasses had been confiscated, causing vision problems, and that his hands showed signs of skin disease, which Odeh said is widespread among Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.

The Supreme Court heard an appeal from Odeh challenging the detention. The court was expected to announce its decision later on June 10, 2026. Abu Safiya is one of 14 Palestinian doctors captured in Gaza and detained without charge for more than a year.

Physicians for Human Rights Israel called for their release in April, citing denial of adequate medical care and food and subjection to physical abuse. Israel's Prison Service rejected all allegations that the 14 doctors had been mistreated. The service has also denied claims that Gazan doctors were denied adequate food.