Petitioners ask High Court to order medical update on detained Gaza doctor Hussam Abu Safiya

A group of petitioners has asked Israel's High Court of Justice to order the state to submit a detailed medical update on Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a Gaza doctor held in detention. The filing, submitted by Physicians for Human Rights Israel and lawyers representing the detainees, comes in response to the state's request to dismiss the petition. Petitioners allege grave mistreatment, stating Dr. Abu Safiya was beaten and left near unconscious.

The state maintains that the detention orders for the 14 Gaza doctors, including Dr. Abu Safiya, were issued under the Unlawful Combatants Law. Officials reviewed classified intelligence specific to each detainee, asserting that their release could jeopardize state security. Dr. Abu Safiya, a pediatrician and director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, has been in Israeli custody since December 2024.

His case has garnered significant international attention, with UN bodies and medical professionals advocating for his release or for independent medical access. Israel claims Dr. Abu Safiya has links to Hamas and that the hospital served as a base for the group's activities. Conversely, PHRI argues that the doctors are being held without charge, exacerbating Gaza's critical shortage of medical personnel.