MedGlobal Alarmed by Extended Detention of Dr. Abu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2025

MEDIA CONTACT:
Logan Bayroff, West End Strategy Team
[email protected] | 516-965-5159

MedGlobal is deeply alarmed by an Israeli court’s decision to uphold and extend the unjust and arbitrary detention of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya in an Israeli prison. The organization calls for the immediate release of Dr. Abu Safiya and all humanitarian workers, including other MedGlobal team members, who have been detained without cause and without charge. 

Dr. Abu Safiya, director of northern Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital and MedGlobal’s lead physician in Gaza, was detained by Israeli forces following the siege and incapacitation of Kamal Adwan in December of 2024. During his months of ongoing imprisonment, Dr. Abu Safiya has repeatedly been denied access to his legal team, and has reportedly suffered from consistent and intensive interrogation, mistreatment and abuse. 

“Dr. Abu Safiya is a healthcare hero who has tirelessly dedicated himself to helping his patients and the Palestinian people in the face of terrible suffering and unbearable conditions,” said Dr. Zaher Sahloul, president and co-founder of MedGlobal. “He should be immediately released so that he can return to his family, and to the critical work of saving lives in the midst of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. His continued detention, without charge or presented evidence of any wrongdoing, flouts the cornerstone principle of international humanitarian law which protects civilians, including medical workers, in war.”

According to Dr. Abu Safiya’s legal team, “Neither the court nor the prosecution disclosed the charges or the purported secret evidence on which the case was based, effectively denying the defense any opportunity to contest the allegations — a core component of due process.”

MedGlobal reiterates its call to the warring parties, international leaders, human rights organizations, and the global community to take decisive action in safeguarding healthcare and humanitarian aid workers in Gaza and to demand strict adherence to international laws protecting medical personnel in conflict zones.

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About MedGlobal

MedGlobal is a humanitarian nonprofit organization that provides emergency medical response and health programs to build resilience among vulnerable communities around the world. The organization’s health programs support victims of crisis and conflict, refugees, internally displaced persons, and marginalized communities in disaster-affected and low-resource settings.