Petitioners seeking the release of 14 Gaza doctors held by Israel asked the High Court of Justice on Sunday to order the state to file a detailed medical update on Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, saying the state had failed to answer grave allegations that he was beaten in detention and left close to unconscious.
The filing, submitted by Physicians for Human Rights Israel and lawyers for the detainees, came in response to the state’s request that the petition be dismissed. The state has argued that the doctors’ detention orders were issued under the Unlawful Combatants Law, after officials reviewed classified intelligence specific to each detainee, and that their release could harm state security.
Abu Safiya, a pediatrician and director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, has been held by Israel since December 2024. His case has drawn growing international attention, including calls by UN bodies and medical professionals for his release or for independent medical access. Israel has said Abu Safiya had ties to Hamas and that Kamal Adwan Hospital was used for Hamas activity, while PHRI has argued that he and the other doctors are being held without charge despite Gaza’s severe need for medical personnel.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.
This is a developing story.