Haaretz Editorial Urges Release of Gaza Hospital Director Held by Israel
A Haaretz editorial published Monday called for the release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, who has been held in Israel since December 2024. The piece came after a Supreme Court hearing last week, when a photo of Abu Safiya, appearing by video from detention, was revealed in his petition against the extension of his custody. The image drew criticism around the world over his conditions of confinement.
Under the headline "Free Abu Safiya," the editorial said that, like other detainees from Gaza, including 13 doctors, Israel had presented no evidence against him and had not filed an indictment. It said he is being held as an "unlawful combatant" and that his detention is repeatedly extended by the court. The article also said that after the petition was filed, he was moved from Ketziot Prison to solitary confinement at Nafha Prison.
The paper described him as a physician who worked throughout the war and said the state should either indict him if it has evidence or release him if it does not. It called his detention "an injustice and collective punishment for the residents of the Strip who need their services." The editorial did not mention the allegations raised in Israel against Abu Safiya.
Israeli sources have said armed militants operated inside the hospital compound during the fighting and that the site was allegedly used for Hamas activity. They also claimed Abu Safiya had long been presented as a pediatrician and hospital director while taking part in Hamas organizational activity and official events. Israeli media published footage and images said to show him in Hamas uniform and, allegedly, in a senior role in the group’s military medical system. According to Israeli officials quoted by ynet, he is being held for continued interrogation and detention, and his name had not been included in earlier prisoner release deals because of the severity of the suspicions. Security officials described his case as highly sensitive.
