Tel Aviv, March 26 (RHC)-- An Israeli court has extended the detention of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, for another six months, alleging security threats without providing evidence.
An Israeli court upheld a detention order on Tuesday against Gaza hospital director Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya for another six months, alleging he posed a threat to the security of the state, the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights has said.
“Earlier today, the Be’er Sheva District Court, an Israeli civilian court, reviewed and upheld the detention order issued on 12 February 2025 by the Commander of the Southern Command of the Israeli army against Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, extending his arbitrary detention for another six months,” the legal rights group said in a statement.
Al Mezan pointed out that under the Unlawful Combatants Law, such detention orders must be reviewed by an Israeli civilian court within 45 days of issuance and subsequently every six months.
“This apartheid law is used by Israeli authorities to incarcerate Palestinian residents of Gaza, including Dr. Abu Safiya, without charge or fair trial, circumventing basic protections under international law,” the rights group stressed.
During the hearing, Al Mezan said, the Southern District Prosecutor “submitted a secret file to the court, alleging that Dr. Abu Safiya poses a threat to the security of the State of Israel.”
In response, Al Mezan’s legal team, representing Dr. Abu Safiya, asserted his innocence and emphasized that “he was solely performing medical and administrative duties” at the Kamal Adwan Hospital.
The defense also requested access to the classified investigation materials. However, the prosecution declined, and the court upheld the refusal.
Dr. Abu Safiya was abducted by Israeli forces on December 27, 2024, from the hospital in northern Gaza, along with several other hospital staff and civilians. He was denied access to his lawyer for 47 days following his arrest.
The hospital director has been subjected to torture, solitary confinement and denial of adequate medical care, as well as prolonged deprivation of access to legal counsel, Al Mezan said.
The legal rights center said the extension of the doctor’s arbitrary detention “is a clear breach of international law, particularly the fundamental right to a fair trial.”
“Neither the court nor the prosecution disclosed the charges or the purported secret evidence on which the case was based, effectively denying the defense any opportunity to contest the allegations—a core component of due process,” it noted.
Al Mezan emphasized that the court’s decision “further underscores the complicity of Israeli civilian courts in sustaining Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territory and enforcing its apartheid regime against the Palestinian people.”
The arbitrary detention of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and hundreds of other Palestinian detainees under the Unlawful Combatants Law is “a gross violation of international human rights and humanitarian law,” the statement added.
Al Mezan reiterated its urgent call to the international community, particularly Israel’s “allies,” to take immediate action to demand the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Abu Safiya, as well as all Palestinians who have been unlawfully arrested and arbitrarily detained.
[ SOURCE: THE PALESTINE CHRONICLE ]
