High Court weighs petition over Hamas-linked Gazan doctors in Israeli custody

Israel's High Court of Justice is reviewing a petition concerning the administrative detention of 14 Palestinian doctors from Gaza, including Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a pediatrician and hospital director with alleged Hamas affiliations. Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) filed the petition, seeking their release.

PHRI asserts that the doctors are innocent and wrongfully detained. The organization also claims that Dr. Abu Safiya's health has deteriorated significantly due to allegedly problematic incarceration conditions. They have requested an urgent visit by a High Court justice to assess his condition firsthand. PHRI also plans to arrange for a cardiologist's examination of Dr. Abu Safiya.

Conversely, the IDF maintains that all 14 medical officials are senior Hamas figures. The Israel Prisons Service (IPS) has stated that their health situation is stable. Some of these doctors have been held in administrative detention, which involves periodic reviews by a military judge without formal charges, since late 2023, according to PHRI.

PHRI's latest petition was filed on April 30, following previous unsuccessful requests and postponements granted to the state. When the state sought another postponement recently, the High Court granted only two additional days, setting Tuesday as the deadline for the state's response. PHRI has argued against further delays, citing new information from Dr. Abu Safiya's lawyer indicating he is in "immediate danger to his life" following "severe violence, visible injuries, and a serious deterioration in his health."