“Dr. Abdullah was detained at the King Hussein Bridge (Allenby Crossing) and has since been held without clear reasons for his arrest and has been denied access to his lawyer.”
Israeli occupation forces have detained a Jordanian doctor, Abdullah al-Balawi, while en route to Gaza as part of a medical relief mission on a UN convoy.
“Despite receiving official approval from the Israeli side for this mission and all the required security clearances, Dr. Abdullah was detained at the King Hussein Bridge (Allenby Crossing) and has since been held without clear reasons for his arrest and has been denied access to his lawyer,” the Palestinian Australian and New Zeland Medical Association (PANZMA) said in a statement on Sunday.
Detained on December 19, Dr. al-Balawi, a general surgeon at the Al-Ruwaished Government Hospital, was part of a 12-member delegation organized by PANZMA.
He was “en route to Gaza as part of our medical relief mission on a UN convoy with UN and other NGO workers.”
“Dr. Abdullah is a dedicated general surgeon with a stellar reputation for his skills and compassionate work,” said PANZA. “His family and PANZMA are calling for immediate intervention by Jordanian authorities and the international community to secure his release.”
‘Under Arrest for Investigation’
According to the Palestinian Information Centre, the doctor’s family said that “the medical delegation was informed by the Israeli side that he was under arrest for investigation.”
The family was later informed by Israeli police that al-Balawi was being held at Petah Tikva detention center, but provided no explanation for his arrest or the conditions of his detention, the report said.
The wife of Jordanian doctor Abdullah Salama Al-Balawi, who was arrested by the occupation while heading to Gaza for a medical aid mission, said:
"My husband was heading to Gaza for an international medical relief mission after receiving approval from Israeli authorities. We… pic.twitter.com/H9mSZIp36o
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 23, 2024
They have contacted Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which initially “had no knowledge of the detention but later confirmed it is following up on the matter,” the report added.
Al-Balawi’s family reportedly said that “after communicating with the lawyer, they were informed that the detention was extended to Thursday, December 26, with a ban on meeting the lawyer since the first hour of arrest.”
According to the Quds News Network (QNN), the doctor’s wife said this was “the second time he had visited Gaza for this mission. They have prevented the lawyer from meeting him or checking his health condition, and we are in continuous contact with Jordanian officials.”
Ongoing Genocide
Meanwhile, the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip continued with the death toll among starved and besieged Palestinian civilians rising daily.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7, 2023.
The Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza is under constant Israeli bombardment.
The director of the hospital, Dr. Abu Safiya, told Al-Jazeera he holds the world accountable for what is happening there. pic.twitter.com/ZZKa22hqvE
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 22, 2024
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 45,259 Palestinians have, to date, been killed, and 107,627 wounded. Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. However, Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern region.
(PC, MEMO)
There is only one reason for this detention, and that is to cause terror and uncertainty among Palestinians and allies. It’s as old as the hills. I think the Jordanian government should publicly review the peace treaty as to its value if Israel violates Articles 4 on security, 13, transportation and roads, and 21, health, by detaining this doctor without explanation. Article 4 on security is violated by Smotrich and Ben Gvir in Israel’s government.