Lawyer Says Detained Gaza Doctor's Life in Imminent Danger After Prison Visit

Lawyer Nasser Odeh stated after a Thursday visit that Dr. Hussam Abu Safia’s life is in imminent danger. Odeh said the paediatrician had been badly beaten and was losing consciousness at an underground interrogation facility inside Nitzan Prison.

Dr. Abu Safia, former director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, appeared via videolink from Nafha Prison at an Israeli Supreme Court hearing on June 10, 2025. He was handcuffed and shackled, looked emaciated and unwell, Al Jazeera reported.

Israeli authorities have detained him for more than 500 days under the Unlawful Combatants Law, alleging affiliation with Hamas but presenting no evidence or criminal charges. He was transferred to the Nitzan facility after the hearing. Footage from December 27, 2024, showed Dr.

Abu Safia walking toward an Israeli armoured vehicle after surrendering the hospital following an 85-day siege. Israeli troops had stormed the facility on December 6, 2024, killing at least 30 people and injuring 20. His teenage son Ibrahim was killed outside the hospital, and Dr.

Abu Safia conducted the funeral prayers himself. Al Jazeera reported that 14 doctors, including Dr. Abu Safia, remain in Israeli detention. Two doctors have died in detention, and 1,700 healthcare workers have been killed.

More than 24,000 children in Gaza have been killed, with at least 42,011 injured, according to the same report.