GAZA (Palestine Foundation Information Center) The Government Media Office (GMO) in the Gaza Strip has called on the international community to determine the fate of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, as well as other medical teams detained by the Israeli occupation army during a raid on the medical facility last Friday.
The GMO said in a statement on Sunday, “the Israeli occupation army is endangering the lives of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and the medical staff after their arrest”, calling on the international community and international organizations “to uncover their fate and immediately release them without delay.”
The GMO said it is following with great concern what Dr. Abu Safiya has been subjected to, citing reports indicating that he was subjected to serious violations and psychological and physical pressure after his arrest, as being forced to take off his clothes and medical coat and being used as a human shield.
It added that what Abu Safiya is being subjected to constitutes a “flagrant violation” of all human values and international conventions and requires immediate and serious action from all concerned parties, especially the international community and humanitarian, legal, and international human rights organizations.
The GMO also highlighted Abu Safiya’s exceptional commitment to his duties, stating that “he exemplified remarkable dedication in performing his medical and humanitarian duties during the genocidal war in northern Gaza, despite harsh conditions and imminent dangers.”
It emphasized that “Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, alongside his colleagues in the health system, “shouldered the burden of defending the right of patients and the wounded to treatment and medical care, adding that he remained steadfast despite his severe injury and the loss of his son, Ibrahim, bearing witness to the sacrifices of this steadfast family.”
The GMO called on “the international community, human rights and humanitarian organizations and the International Red Cross, to intervene urgently and immediately to uncover the fate of Dr. Abu Safiya and the medical teams in particular, ensure their immediate release without any delay and provide necessary protection for him and all detainees who are subjected to inhumane practices, especially medical staff and civil service teams.”
On Friday, the Israeli occupation army arrested the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, after releasing 400 citizens from northern Gaza, including medical staff who had been arrested from the same hospital and its surroundings.
