‘Blatant Assault on Health’ – UN Experts Call for Dr. Abu Safiya’s Release


UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation in Palestine Francesca Albanese. (Photo: UN Human Rights Council/Sérine Meradji, via UN News)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

UN experts denounce Israel’s “blatant” attacks on healthcare in Gaza, demand the release of detained doctor.

Two UN Special Rapporteurs have called for an end to Israel’s “blatant” disregard for the right to health in Gaza, following the raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital and the detention of its director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya.

“For well over a year into the genocide, Israel’s blatant assault on the right to health in Gaza and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory is plumbing new depths of impunity,” the experts said in a statement this week.

The statement was issued by the UN Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Francesca Albanese.

The experts said they were “horrified and concerned by reports from northern Gaza and especially the attack on the healthcare workers including the last remaining of 22 now destroyed hospitals: Kamal Adwan Hospital.”

They added: “We are gravely concerned with the fate of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, yet another doctor to be harassed, kidnapped and arbitrarily detained by the occupation forces, in his case for defying evacuation orders to leave his patients and colleagues behind.”

“This is part of a pattern by Israel to continuously bombard, destroy and fully annihilate the realization of the right to health in Gaza,” the Special Rapporteurs emphasized.

Israel’s Allegations

The Israeli army confirmed that Dr. Abu Safiya is in their custody and was being investigated for “suspected involvement in terrorist activities” and “for holding a rank” within Hamas, according to the American channel, ABC News, on Friday. The Israeli i24 news channel reported that he was being held at the notorious Sde Teiman detention center in southern Israel, according to Al-Jazeera.

Dr. Abu Safiya Detained by Israel – Grave Concerns over Torture, Health

The UN experts pointed out that before his abduction, Dr. Abu Safiya’s son “was killed in front of him, and he was recently injured while on duty while on duty “as a result of Israel’s genocidal acts.”

However, the experts added, he continued to provide care while the hospital was under continuous bombardment and threat.

“More disturbing reports indicate that Israeli forces allegedly conducted extrajudicial executions of some people in the vicinity of the hospital, including a Palestinian man who was reportedly holding a white flag,” they noted.

Special Protection under IHL

More than 1,057 Palestinian health and medical professionals have been killed so far and many have been arbitrarily arrested, according to the Special Rapporteurs.

“The heroic actions of Palestinian medical colleagues in Gaza, teach us what it means to have taken the medical oath. They are also a clear signal of a depraved humanity that has allowed a genocide to continue for well over a year,” the experts said.

They stressed that medical personnel are civilians “serving a critical function at the most critical moment” and therefore enjoy special protections under international humanitarian law.

“Attacks on healthcare workers, hospitals, and healthcare facilities, including ambulances, contravene the fundamental right of individuals to access essential healthcare services, a matter of acute significance during times of armed conflict,” the experts said.

Appeal to ‘Occupying Power’

They called on Israeli authorities, “as the occupying power,” to respect and protect the right to life and the right to health in Gaza and the entire occupied Palestinian Territory.

Kamal Adwan Aggression: What Lies Behind Israel’s War on Gaza Hospitals?

“Under occupation, intentional assaults on healthcare facilities have the potential to expose individuals to cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment and may constitute a war crime. In Gaza, this is clearly part of a well-established pattern of genocide, for which Israeli leaders will have to be held accountable,” the experts said.

They urged Israel to end its current assault on Gaza and cease its attacks on healthcare facilities.

“They must also ensure the immediate release of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, and all other arbitrarily detained healthcare workers,” the experts appealed.

Ongoing Genocide

The ongoing Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7, 2023, has led to a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented scale. As the death toll among besieged and starved Palestinian civilians continues to rise daily, Israel is currently facing charges of genocide against Palestinians before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, at least 445,581 Palestinians have been killed, and 108,438 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023. The toll is expected to rise further, with at least 11,000 people still unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes across Gaza.

The war, which Palestinians call “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” began after a military operation carried out by Hamas on Israeli territory. Israel reports that 1,200 of its soldiers and civilians were killed during the initial attack on October 7. However, Israeli media have raised concerns that a significant number of Israeli casualties were caused by ‘friendly fire’ during the assault.

Humanitarian Catastrophe

Human rights organizations, both Palestinian and international, have reported that the overwhelming majority of the casualties in Gaza are women and children. The ongoing violence has also exacerbated an acute famine, with thousands of children among the dead, highlighting the severity of the humanitarian disaster.

The war has displaced nearly two million people from their homes across Gaza, with the majority of the displaced forced into the already overcrowded southern region of the Strip. The population in Gaza remains trapped in the ongoing conflict, with little access to basic necessities such as food, water, and medical care.

(The Palestine Chronicle)





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