Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya to his attorney: “This is the last time you’ll see me… They brought me here to kill me.”

Recent reports raise grave concerns about Dr. Abu Safiya and the other healthcare professionals from Gaza held in Israeli detention facilities.

PHRI demands the immediate removal of Dr. Abu Safiya from the Rekafet underground security facility and an urgent assessment of his condition by an independent actor, before it is too late.

Adv. Nasser Odeh, who visited Dr. Abu Safiya last Thursday, witnessed what he described as a life-threatening condition. Dr. Abu Safiya reported that, for the past two weeks, particularly since his transfer to Rakefet, he has endured daily violence and beatings.

He also reported a sharp escalation in assaults against him since judicial proceedings concerning his release began last month. According to Dr. Abu Safiya, after a hearing in his appeal at the Israeli Supreme Court, four to five officers entered his cell and beat him across his body with a hammer and batons. He said that similar violence has since become a daily occurrence, causing him to lose consciousness several times over the previous week.

His attorney reported that Dr. Abu Safiya arrived at their most recent meeting with both his hands and feet cuffed and accompanied by masked guards. He observed fresh bruising across Dr. Abu Safiya’s body, including on his head and around his eyes, ears, and neck, injuries so severe that he could barely recognize him.

During the meeting, Dr. Abu Safiya had difficulty breathing and speaking, appeared extremely weak, and struggled to remain seated without falling. On several occasions, he leaned backward, raising fears that he was about to lose consciousness. According to his attorney, he appeared frightened and in severe distress and was afraid to speak freely for fear of further retaliation.

Dr. Abu Safiya and at least 13 other Palestinian physicians from Gaza have been held in Israeli custody for more than 18 months without charge or trial. PHRI calls for their immediate release. Israel’s torture practices against Palestinians in its prisons have already caused at least 104 deaths since October 2023. We call for urgent intervention before it is too late.

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