Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-I) reported that the Israeli military is preventing Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, from meeting with a lawyer to assess his condition and detention circumstances.

"Despite our urgent requests to send an attorney, the military says he's barred from lawyer visits until 10.01.2025," PHR-I stated, adding that the Israeli occupation forces continue to withhold information about Dr. Abu Safiya's whereabouts, despite renouncing earlier claims that he is not being held in "Israel".

The Israeli military also continues to withhold information about Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya's detention location, despite retracting their earlier claim that he isn’t being held in Israel. #NotATarget #HealthcareIsNotACrime

— Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) (@PHRIsrael) January 5, 2025

PHR-I further emphasized that medical professionals are protected under international humanitarian law for a clear purpose. In a post on X, the organization stresses that targeting healthcare workers equates to targeting an entire society, including civilians in need of medical care, people with chronic illnesses, and those with injuries.

The organization further highlighted the dire healthcare crisis in Gaza, stating that their data shows over 20,000 people awaiting urgent medical evacuations due to the collapse of the healthcare system in Gaza, in addition to the medical professionals' loss of ability to care for their communities. 

"More than 1000 medical professionals were killed, 230 were arrested, 130 are still held in Israeli incarceration facilities … More than 70 people have already died in Israeli Incarceration facilities. Just as a comparison, nine people died in Guantanamo in 22 years of operation. We have here more than 70 people in just a few months," PHR-I added. 

Our numbers say that there are more than 20,000 people waiting for urgent medical evacuations. The reason is that there is no active healthcare system in Gaza and hundreds of medical professionals have lost their ability to care for their people. More than 1000 medical…

— Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) (@PHRIsrael) January 6, 2025

Abu Safiya's fate in question

The Palestinian Prisoners Club (PCC) stated that the risks surrounding the fate of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya are growing as time passes. This comes after the Israeli occupation army denied the existence of any record confirming his detainment. 

In a statement, the club emphasized that Abu Safiya's case is one of thousands of detainees in Gaza who are enduring the crime of enforced disappearance.

The PPC added, "Despite clear evidence of Dr. Abu Safiya's arrest, the occupation is now denying its previous statements and rejecting the existence of evidence, including videos and photos it had previously published, as well as the testimonies of some detainees who were released."

Physicians for Human Rights had submitted a request on behalf of Abu Safiya’s family on Thursday to allow a lawyer to visit him. However, the Israeli occupation army responded by stating that there was no record confirming his detainment. In response to this, the organization filed an urgent petition seeking to reveal his fate.

The Prisoners Club stated that Abu Safiya is among at least 320 medical personnel who have been arrested since the onset of the genocide. The arrests of doctors and the destruction of hospitals are seen as key elements of the ongoing war of extermination. Since the war began, three doctors from Gaza—Iyad al-Rantisi, Adnan al-Barsh, and Ziad al-Dalu—have also been martyred after being arrested.