Concerns are growing about the safety of Hussam Abu Safia, the director of one of the last partially functioning hospitals in northern Gaza, after his detention by Israeli forces.
Abu Safia, 51, was arrested during a raid by the Israeli military at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya on Friday. His whereabouts remain unknown, and the World Health Organization confirmed it lost contact with him following the raid. The military also forcibly removed dozens of medical staff and patients from the facility during the operation.
Munir al-Barsh, the director general of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, reported that Abu Safia was severely beaten by Israeli forces, who made him strip and change into clothes typically worn by prisoners.
This marks the second time in two months that Abu Safia has been detained by Israeli forces amid their ongoing operations in Gaza.
Here’s what you need to know about Hussam Abu Safia:
Who is Hussam Abu Safia?
Hussam Abu Safia, a prominent paediatrician in Gaza, is a well-known figure in the region’s healthcare system. He holds a master’s degree and a Palestinian board certification in paediatrics and neonatology. Born on November 21, 1973, in the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, he is also known by his nickname, Abu Elias. His family was displaced in 1948 from the Palestinian town of Hamama in the Ashkelon district.
Abu Safia gained attention for his steadfast refusal to comply with multiple Israeli orders to leave Kamal Adwan Hospital after the Israeli military imposed a devastating blockade on the northern Gaza Strip on October 5. This siege cut off food and water supplies to the area while launching airstrikes and shelling that killed hundreds of civilians.
The blockade severely impacted Gaza’s hospitals, and Abu Safia was briefly arrested when Israeli forces stormed the hospital in late October, detaining 44 staff members and leaving him and a few remaining medical workers to care for the injured. During this operation, Israeli forces killed Abu Safia’s son, Ibrahim, in a drone strike at the hospital gate. Despite this tragic loss, Abu Safia led the funeral prayers for his son in the hospital’s courtyard, accusing the Israeli military of targeting his son as punishment for his refusal to leave the hospital.
Despite the ongoing siege, Abu Safia and his team remained at the hospital, defying repeated Israeli orders to abandon their posts. Through his efforts, he kept the world informed about Israel’s near-daily attacks, issuing video statements and pleading for international intervention.
Abu Safia was injured on November 23 when shrapnel from an Israeli drone strike hit him while he was leaving the operating room. The attack left him with six shrapnel wounds to his thigh, causing ruptures in his veins and arteries. Nevertheless, he insisted on returning to his patients, saying, “This will not stop us. I was injured at my workplace, and that is an honour. My blood is no more precious than that of my colleagues or the people we serve. I will return to my patients as soon as I recover.”
