Fears for Gaza doctor Hussam Abu Safiya

Lawyers for prominent Gaza doctor Hussam Abu Safiya have issued a dire warning about their client's wellbeing, alleging he has been severely beaten by Israeli prison guards and is at risk of being killed behind bars.

Dr Abu Safiya was the head of the Kamal Adwan hospital in Beit Lahiya, and was arrested by Israeli forces in late December 2024 after a lengthy siege of the facility.

Despite allegations he is linked to the militant group Hamas, which his lawyers and family reject, he has been held without formal charge and moved between a number of Israeli prisons during his 18 months in custody.

Advocacy group Physician's for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) published fresh revelations about Dr Abu Safiya's fate in a statement over the weekend, after a meeting between the doctor and his lawyer Nasser Odeh at the Nitzan prison east of Tel Aviv.

"According to Attorney Odeh's affidavit, Dr Abu Safiya was brought to the meeting shackled by his hands and feet and accompanied by masked prison guards," the group said.

"He bore fresh, severe injuries to his head, around his eyes, and on his ears and neck — to the extent that his lawyer initially struggled to recognise him.

"During the visit, Dr Abu Safiya experienced difficulty breathing and speaking continuously. He appeared extremely weak, struggled to sit upright without falling, and on several occasions seemed on the verge of losing consciousness."

PHRI said Dr Abu Safiya's lawyer described him as appearing "frightened" and "reluctant to speak freely due to fear of being targeted."

"Based on these direct observations, Attorney Odeh concluded that Dr Abu Safiya's life is in immediate danger,"

the group said.

PHRI said the doctor was being held in an underground interrogation facility at the prison, called 'Rakefet,' which the group said had a reputation for allegations of violence and abuse against detainees.

"He further detailed that since his transfer to the Rakefet facility on June 24, 2026, he has been subjected to daily beatings, resulting in several instances of loss of consciousness, but without receiving appropriate medical treatment," the statement read.

"He expressed grave fear for his life, stating: 'This is the last time you will see me… They brought me here to kill me. I don't see myself surviving. This is the end.'"

The Israeli Prison Service, which runs Nitzan Prison, described the allegations as "false and entirely without factual basis", but refused to comment specifically on Dr Abu Safiya's condition citing "privacy obligations and security considerations".

"All prisoners and detainees are held in accordance with the law and receive medical care based on professional medical judgement and in accordance with Ministry of Health guidelines," it told the ABC in a statement.

"The Israel Prison Service rejects allegations of abuse, torture, starvation, or denial of medical treatment.

"Any specific complaint or allegation raised through the appropriate legal and official channels is examined by the competent authorities in accordance with established procedures."

A rare sighting

Dr Abu Safiya was seen for the first time in more than a year in June, when he briefly appeared on a video screen in the Israeli Supreme Court during a hearing challenging his ongoing detention — an application which was rejected.

He had been one of the most vocal medics in Gaza at the start of the war in the territory, regularly posting videos from the Kamal Adwan Hospital about the state of the facility and the deluge of patients coming through its doors.

Before that, Dr Abu Safiya was last seen in vision walking through the rubble of the destroyed streets around Kamal Adwan shortly before his arrest on December 27, 2024.

An Israeli TV network, Channel 13 broadcast vision of him handcuffed and shackled in the Ofer Prison in March 2025.

He has been held under Israel's Unlawful Enemy Combatants Law, which gives authorities sweeping powers to detain people without charge for up to six months at a time, pending review by a judge.

Israel has accused Dr Abu Safiya of being affiliated with Hamas, repeatedly denied by his lawyers and family, and alleged the Kamal Adwan Hospital was being used by Hamas fighters.

Commentary accusing Dr Abu Safiya of ties to the militant group, considered a terrorist organisation under Australian law, regularly refers to a photo of him from 2016 where he is seen in a military-style uniform.

Earlier this year, Israeli human rights organisation B'Tselem published data from the end of 2025 showing more than 3,300 Palestinians were being held without charge or trial under administrative detention by the Israeli Prison Service.