Israel Withholds Heart Medication from Detained Gaza Field Hospital Director, Life at Risk

The Palestinian Prisoner Advocacy Centre has warned that the life of detained Gaza doctor, Dr Marwan al-Hams, is now in grave danger. The director of the Palestinian Ministry of Health’s field hospitals has reportedly been deprived of essential heart medication for months. In an official statement on Tuesday, the centre described Dr Marwan’s case as part of a systematic campaign targeting Palestinian medical personnel. It revealed that since February, Dr Marwan has been denied medication for a chronic heart condition. He has also endured prolonged interrogation, drastic weight loss, medical negligence, inadequate nutrition, and a ban on communication with his family. The centre stated that the mistreatment by the Israeli occupation forces places the doctor at ‘real risk’ of losing his life, and called for urgent international intervention to save him. According to data from the advocacy centre, Dr Marwan has lost approximately 20 kilogrammes since his arrest, with his weight now around 69 kilogrammes. The drastic decline is attributed to systematic starvation, torture, and the deliberate denial of medical care. The centre described the withholding of life-saving heart medication from a detainee as a form of ‘slow torture and indirect killing’. With his health continuing to deteriorate, the human rights organisation warned that immediate intervention by international medical and human rights bodies is needed before it is too late.