Tens of Palestinian doctors and healthcare professionals are calling for immediate action to secure the release of Dr Hussam Abu Safia and 94 other medical workers presently held in Israeli detention.
On Monday, the Healthcare Workers Watch (HWW) and the Amnesty International UK organised a protest outside St Thomas’ Hospital in central London. The demonstrators demanded the unconditional release of all detained healthcare workers, citing the appalling conditions they endure in Israeli custody.
The protest follows an Israeli court’s decision to extend Dr Abu Safia’s detention for another six months under the Unlawful Combatants Law, widely condemned by human rights groups.
At least five healthcare workers have died or been killed while in Israeli detention, and five others remain missing. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israeli strikes have killed 1,722 healthcare workers in the past two years alone.
HWW says that most healthcare workers were abducted by the Israeli military from hospitals or ambulances while performing their duties. Testimonies collected by the HWW describe torture, abuse and degrading treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody.
Dr Rebecca Inglis of the HWW said, “Israel’s continued detention of nearly one hundred healthcare workers is in clear contravention of International Humanitarian Law. We are gravely concerned for their welfare given the extensive evidence that Palestinian detainees are being tortured while in Israeli detention.”
Who He Is Dr Hussam Abu Safia?
Dr Abu Safia is the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza. Israeli forces arrested him on December 27, 2024, after raiding one of the last functioning hospitals in the region.
The Amnesty International says that he has been held without charge or trial under Israeli security law.
Despite relentless bombardment and the death of his own son in an Israeli airstrike, Dr Abu Safia continued to lead his hospital staff, providing care to patients under extreme conditions.
Since his detention, credible reports describe torture, physical abuse, severe weight loss, denial of medical care, lack of hygiene and delayed access to legal counsel, all violations of international law.
Israel’s Assault On Gaza’s Health Infrastructure
At least 94 percent of Gaza’s hospitals have been damaged or destroyed. Numerous doctors and healthcare workers have been killed. The detention of medical personnel, many seized while on duty, has placed further strain on the fragile health system.
Between October 7, 2023, and October 20, 2025, the HWW documented 431 cases of detained Palestinian healthcare workers. Of these, 309 have been confirmed released, including 67 in the latest exchange deal on October 13. Five remain missing, including three senior physicians, one UNRWA pharmacist and one senior physiotherapist. Five reportedly died in detention, though their bodies have not been returned.
Families of 22 other detained workers have not provided updates, and they are not counted among the confirmed detained or released figures.
Who Remains Detained
The 95 healthcare workers currently held by Israel have been detained for an average of 511 days, with some imprisoned since the early weeks of the war. Eighty are from Gaza, and 15 are from the West Bank.
From Gaza alone, the breakdown includes 31 nurses, 17 physicians, 15 hospital support and management staff, 14 paramedics, two pharmacists and one medical technician. Twenty-five hold senior roles, 50 mid-level positions and five are junior staff. All except one are male.
Geographically, 36 detainees are from North Gaza, 24 from Khan Younis, 18 from Gaza City and three from Rafah.
The ongoing detention of these healthcare workers highlights a wider crisis in Gaza’s medical sector and raises urgent questions about violations of international humanitarian law.
