AHRC Calls for the Immediate Release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya
The American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) joins all peace‑loving people and the global human rights community in calling for the immediate release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, Director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza.
According to multiple credible sources, including Dr. Abu Safiya’s legal team, his health has drastically deteriorated, and he faces imminent danger, including the risk of death while in Israeli detention. His legal representatives are urgently appealing to the international community and all people of conscience to intervene without delay to compel Israel to release him before it is too late.
Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya is a physician who consistently places his patients’ lives above his own safety. He refused to abandon the hospital or leave the wounded behind despite repeated Israeli demands and threats. He continued his humanitarian mission under bombardment, siege, and near-total depletion of medical supplies.
Throughout the crisis, Dr. Abu Safiya repeatedly appealed to the international community to protect hospitals, medical staff, and patients from military operations. His calls were grounded in international humanitarian law and the universal principle that medical facilities must never be targets of war.
Despite the bombardment of Kamal Adwan Hospital, Dr. Abu Safiya remained at his post—even after being injured himself, even after his son Idris was wounded, and even after the killing of his son Ibrahim, whom he buried with his own hands inside the hospital. His courage and devotion to human life embody the highest ideals of the medical profession.
Since his arrest on December 27, 2024, Dr. Abu Safiya has reportedly been subjected to torture, abuse, and prolonged solitary confinement. His health continues to deteriorate, and he has been denied communication with his family and legal team. Reports indicate he was recently transferred to an isolated cell, raising further alarm about his safety and well‑being.
Dr. Abu Safiya’s case is not isolated—several other doctors and medical personnel have also been arrested by Israeli forces, deepening the humanitarian crisis and undermining the protection owed to medical workers under international law.
AHRC urgently calls upon international medical associations, physicians’ unions, humanitarian organizations, and global civil society to join in efforts to demand his immediate release. The global medical community has a moral obligation to defend colleagues who are persecuted for fulfilling their humanitarian duties. Silence or delay may cost Dr. Abu Safiya his life. His release is a moral, legal, and humanitarian imperative.
"We urge everyone to take a stand and push for the good doctor's release," said Imad Hamad, AHRC Executive Director. "This is not about politics; this is about medicine and human rights," added Hamad.