Britain’s healthcare workers must demand Israel release Gaza’s Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya

British healthcare workers are demanding the immediate release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, medical director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, who is reportedly being tortured in Israel’s Rakefet interrogation center. Dr. Abu Safiya, a pediatrician who became a public face of Gaza’s collapsing healthcare system, was detained by the IDF on December 27, 2024, after refusing to evacuate his hospital. His lawyer, Nasser Odeh, reported severe injuries and distress after a July 2 visit, with Abu Safiya stating, "This is the last time you’ll see me… they brought me here to kill me."

• Initially held in Ofer prison, Dr. Abu Safiya allegedly endured beatings, electric shocks, and solitary confinement, losing over 40kg.
• The Rakefet center, reopened by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for Palestinian detainees, is described as inhumane, with all facilities underground.
• Human rights organizations, including Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI), have warned that his life is in imminent danger following the Israeli High Court’s rejection of his appeal.
• Over 2,500 healthcare workers and various artists have signed petitions and held demonstrations, calling for his release and condemning Israel’s detention of medical professionals, which an open letter from over 800 doctors suggests is part of a broader strategy to dismantle Gaza’s healthcare system.