Dr Hussam Abu Safiya Transferred to Israeli Isolation Cell
Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, has been transferred from the Negev detention centre to an isolation cell in Nafha prison, according to his lawyer, amid reports of continued cruel treatment in Israeli custody.
Lawyer Nasser Awda told Al Jazeera that the decision came shortly after the defence team challenged the continuation of Abu Safiya’s detention, describing the act as a direct punitive measure. According to Awda, the Palestinian doctor has been repeatedly targeted with threats and pressure from Israeli intelligence officers and prison authorities prior to the transfer. The lawyer stated that the pressure aims to prevent Abu Safiya from exposing the conditions faced by Palestinian detainees inside Israeli prisons.
Awda argued that placing the doctor in an isolation cell is intended to completely isolate him from fellow inmates, his legal team, and the outside world. He added that prison authorities have repeatedly denied defence lawyers access to Abu Safiya without providing any legal justification. The lawyer expressed serious concerns regarding Abu Safiya’s physical and psychological condition, stating that the doctor has suffered systematic abuse during his detention.
According to Awda, the doctor faces harsh detention conditions, medical neglect, and repeated denial of necessary treatment despite ongoing health issues. He said Israeli authorities continue to restrict access to legal counsel while concealing detailed information about his current condition.
“There is currently no accurate information confirming his health and psychological condition,” Awda stated, as reported by Al Jazeera. These concerns are particularly acute given Abu Safiya’s role as one of the most prominent doctors in Gaza during Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip. Israeli occupation forces arrested Abu Safiya on 27 December 2024, in a raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. His detention has been repeatedly extended since then. Among the extensions was a decision issued on 16 October 2025, which prolonged his detention by an additional six months.