The head of the United Nations’ World Health Organization (WHO) called Monday for the immediate release of Hussam Abu Safia, director of the war-torn Gaza Strip’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, who is being held by Israel’s military following a major raid on the facility.
The Friday-Saturday assault on Kamal Adwan in Beit Lahia left northern Gaza’s last major health facility out of service and emptied of patients, the WHO said.
According to international media reports, The director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, whose whereabouts have been unknown since he was detained by Israel after a raid on the facility last week, is allegedly being held at an army base doubling as a detention facility.
Hussam Abu Safia, 51, is reportedly being held in the Sde Teiman base in Israel’s Negev desert, according to former Palestinian prisoners cited by the network, who had been released over the weekend from the controversial facility known for its extreme abuse of detainees.
“Two Palestinian prisoners released this weekend from the facility said they saw Abu Safia at the prison, and another former detainee said he heard Abu Safia’s name being read out,” said the report.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and authorities in Gaza said they lost contact with Abu Safia after the raid on Friday, which saw the Israeli military set fire to Kamal Adwan and forcefully expel dozens of medical staff and patients – shutting down the only partially functioning hospital in northern Gaza.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of WHO, called for Abu Safia’s release in a post on X on Monday, saying that hospitals in Gaza had become “battlegrounds” and that the health system was “under severe threat”.
Tedros said the patients in critical condition at Kamal Adwan had been moved to the Indonesian Hospital, “which is itself out of function”.
“Amid ongoing chaos in northern Gaza, WHO and partners today delivered basic medical and hygiene supplies, food and water to Indonesian Hospital and transferred 10 critical patients to al-Shifa Hospital,” he said.
“We urge Israel to ensure their healthcare needs and rights are upheld.”
He said seven patients along with 15 caregivers and health workers remained at the “severely damaged” Indonesian Hospital.
