GAZA, Sept 22 — 2025
Israeli occupation forces have detained more than 360 members of Gaza’s medical community since October 7, 2023, according to the Palestine Center for Prisoners Studies. The group reported that four of those arrested have died in custody due to torture and medical neglect.
In a statement issued Sunday, the Center said that about 3,500 people from Gaza remain in Israeli detention, including dozens of healthcare professionals. Among them are senior doctors such as Dr. Hossam Abu Safia, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mohammad Obeid, and Dr. Mohammad Zahir, also from Kamal Adwan.
The report documented raids on hospitals including Kamal Adwan, Al-Shifa, Indonesian, Al-Awda, and Nasser. Israeli forces arrested patients and medical staff, in some cases emptying entire wards. Paramedics were also detained while transporting the wounded in ambulances, the Center said.
Those who died in Israeli custody include orthopedic surgeon Dr. Adnan Ahmed Al-Bursh of Al-Shifa Hospital, obstetrics chief Dr. Iyad Al-Rantisi of Kamal Adwan Hospital, paramedic Hamdan Hassan Enaya from Khan Yunis, and nurse Ziad Mohammad Al-Dalu of Al-Shifa.
Rights groups note that targeting medical staff violates international humanitarian law, which explicitly protects healthcare workers during armed conflict. The Palestine Center urged the World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders to intervene, safeguard medical personnel, and demand the release of detainees. It expressed concern for Dr. Abu Safia, reportedly in deteriorating health at Ofer Prison.
The arrests come amid Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, fully backed by the United States. Local authorities estimate that more than 65,283 Palestinians have been killed and 166,575 injured since October, with over 9,000 missing under the rubble. A famine has already claimed hundreds of lives, while more than two million people are displaced, living in catastrophic conditions amid widespread destruction.
