A recently freed detainee has revealed harrowing details about the mistreatment and humiliation suffered by Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the detained director of Kamal Adwan Hospital.
The detained director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya told fellow detainees at the notorious Sde Teiman detention center that he had been “humiliated” since his abduction by Israeli occupation forces in December.
“I was shocked when I saw him. The first words that came out of his mouth: ‘Folks, I’ve been humiliated,” a recently released detainee told the Al Jazeera Mubasher channel.
Mohammad al-Ramlawi said he had met Dr. Abu Safiya shortly before his release.
BREAKING | Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya was seen in Sde Teiman detention camp by two released hostages (December 29th 2024), Mohammad Al-Ramlawi and Mustafa Hassouna, now in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza. Their testimonies corroborate previous accounts from Yahya Zaqqout, Ahmad Saleem,… pic.twitter.com/DwDtrOCw6f
— Translating Falasteen (Palestine) (@translatingpal) January 8, 2025
“Two days before I left the prison, we were surprised to see Dr Abu Safiya enter the cell where we were held late at night,” al-Ramwali stated.
“I was shocked when I saw him because he had helped me a lot earlier at Kamal Adwan Hospital. We cried bitterly for his condition because he is a national figure,” he added.
He said Dr. Abu Safiya, spoke about the mistreatment and violations he endured during his detention, saying: “I swear, I was humiliated, and the army treated me terribly when they arrested me.”
Hospital Set Ablaze
The doctor was detained by Israeli forces along with fellow medical staff and others during a raid on the hospital on December 27, following a days-long siege. The medical facility was raided and set ablaze by the army.
Al-Ramlawi said that Dr. Abu Safiyya shared details of his arrest, including how the Israeli occupation army “killed five medical staff” in front of him before setting the hospital on fire.
“Once he said that a tear fell from his eyes,” said the freed detainee.
Today we're in Congress with Doctors Against Genocide.
Hospitals are burning, children are dying, and doctors are being detained in Gaza.
The U.S. is funding this horror.
Release Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and all detained healthcare workers! pic.twitter.com/2OXd12jyw2
— CODEPINK (@codepink) January 8, 2025
Dr. Abu Safiya told him that once he was detained, “there were beatings and insults all the way to the prison.”
Al-Ramlawi said the doctor “was still inside Sde Teiman detention camp when we got out, in cell number 2, barracks number 2.”
“Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya is still there,” he emphasized and added that he had suffered psychologically and physically during his detention.
Appeal to Red Cross, Authorities
Al-Ramwali said that when the doctor had found out that he was going to be released, he “entrusted” him “his sons’ numbers.”
“And let them inform the Red Cross and the concerned authorities,” as well as the media “about my situation,” to take action to expedite his release, said the detainee.
‘Atrocity Crimes’ – UN Rights Chief Urges Probe into Israel’s Attacks on Gaza Hospitals
The two men had spent two days together before Al-Ramlawi was released.
Another freed prisoner, Mustafa Hassouna, said the interrogations with Dr. Abu Safiya primarily focused on Israeli prisoners in Gaza.
The doctor told the interrogators that he had no information on the matter as he specializes in pediatrics, the report said. He also emphasized that he was under immense pressure due to the occupation’s practices.
Demands for His Release
The World Health Organization (WHO) along with doctors and healthcare workers worldwide have demanded the release of Dr. Abu Safiya, amidst concerns for his safety.
Healthcare Workers are protesting for Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya at the U.S. embassy in London!
Free Dr Safiya! ✊🏻
— ADAM (@AdameMedia) January 8, 2025
“Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza remains completely out of function and we have received no updates on the safety and wellbeing of its director Dr Hussam Abu Safiya since his detention on 27 December,” the WHO Director-General, Tedros edros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Sunday.
“We continue to urge Israel to release him. We repeat: attacks on hospitals and health professionals must end. People in Gaza need access to health care,” Tedros added in his post on X.
‘End to Attacks’
The WHO’s representative for the West Bank and Gaza, Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, also called on Friday for Dr. Abu Safiya’s immediate release saying the UN body “remains deeply concerned” about him.
“We’ve lost contact with him since and call for his immediate release,” said Peeperkorn in a UN Security Council meeting.
A global coalition of healthcare workers, Doctors Against Genocide (DAG), has also demanded action to end the genocide in Gaza, including an immediate arms embargo on Israel.
Dr. Abu Safiya Detained by Israel – Grave Concerns over Torture, Health
“We call upon our colleagues, institutions, and national associations to join us in demanding an end to attacks on healthcare, the release of Dr. Abu Safiya and the 450 healthcare workers illegally held in Israeli detention and torture centers,” DAG said in statement.
The Geneva-based Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said it had received information that the health of Dr. Abu Safiya has deteriorated due to the torture he has endured during his detention.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 1,050 medical professionals have been killed in Gaza since October 2023.
(PC, MEMO)
Be the first to comment