Waiting for Hassan: Another Gaza doctor held by Israel without charge

Dr. Hassan Khalil Almukayed, a vascular surgeon from Gaza's Kamal Adwan Hospital, has been held by Israel without charge for nearly 21 months, since October 25, 2024. He is one of at least 15 Palestinian doctors from Gaza detained by Israel, including Kamal Adwan's director, Hussam Abu Safia, who has been held for over 18 months. Both doctors refused to evacuate northern Gaza, staying to treat patients, including newborn infants, despite Israeli military orders.

“From the beginning of the war until Hassan was [taken away], he never stopped serving the patients and the wounded,”

recalled his wife, Nadia Almukayed. Hassan was initially held at Sde Teiman detention camp and later transferred to Ktziot (Negev Prison). His brother, Mahmoud, a nurse, was also detained but released in an October 2025 prisoner swap. Their father, Khalil Almukayed, who was briefly detained and released in poor health, died months later, a fact Hassan has not been told. Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHRI) states that these doctors are held under Israel's Unlawful Combatants Law, allowing indefinite detention without trial, and reports severe abuse, starvation, and physical violence in prison. PHRI is petitioning the Israeli Supreme Court for their release, arguing their detention is a "systemic effort" to dismantle Gaza's healthcare and displace its population.