A prominent Palestinian doctor who has spent more than 500 days in Israeli detention without formal charges has now been transferred to solitary confinement, sparking fresh fears over his health and wellbeing. Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, 53, director of Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza, was detained by Israeli forces while at work on 27 December 2024. Now, after more than 525 days behind bars, his family says they are deeply alarmed after learning he has been moved without explanation to a maximum-security prison and placed in isolation. The transfer was revealed by Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI), which said it received information indicating that Abu Safiya had been moved from Ketziot prison to Ramon prison, part of the Ganot prison complex. PHRI said it had not been told why the move took place. The news has intensified concern among relatives, especially his son Elyas Abu Safiya, who is also a doctor. He said what the family has learned about his father's detention points to severe suffering and worsening conditions. According to Elyas, his father needs surgery to remove shrapnel lodged in his left thigh after he was wounded at the time of his detention. He said the injury continues to cause persistent pain and swelling. Elyas also described harsh treatment during the early months of detention. He said his father was not allowed to change his clothes and developed skin diseases without receiving proper treatment. Most alarming, he said, was information suggesting his father is now being held in an extremely small solitary confinement cell measuring roughly one metre by one metre. The doctor had become a well-known figure during the war in Gaza after keeping Kamal Adwan hospital operating through more than 80 days of siege and attacks by Israeli forces during an intensive military operation in the surrounding refugee camp. According to his son, Abu Safiya was wearing a white medical coat when he was detained. He had reportedly refused to wash it since October 2024, when his son Ibrahim was killed in a drone strike at the hospital entrance. Despite spending more than 525 days in detention, Israeli authorities have not brought formal charges against him. Instead, he has been classified as an "unlawful combatant", a designation also applied to more than 375 medical workers and one that Israel has frequently used to justify prolonged detention without trial. The family has been unable to communicate with him directly since his arrest. Elyas claimed the only accusation against his father was that he refused Israeli army orders to evacuate the hospital and abandon patients. PHRI learned about the transfer during a 4 June visit by one of its lawyers to five other Palestinian doctors being held in Ketziot prison. According to those doctors, security personnel entered Abu Safiya's wing several days earlier, handcuffed him and removed him without providing any explanation. The organisation later learned he had reportedly been transferred to solitary confinement in Ganot prison. Solitary confinement is widely regarded as one of the harshest forms of detention. Under the United Nations Mandela Rules, prolonged solitary confinement lasting more than 14 days may amount to torture. Abu Safiya's lawyer, Nasser Odeh, said he filed an appeal on Thursday seeking his client's release. He said Israeli officials responded that the doctor was being held under the unlawful combatants law and that all legal proceedings concerning him were subject to a gag order and conducted behind closed doors. Pressure over the case has been growing. In March, a group of UN experts called on Israel to immediately release Abu Safiya and ensure he received medical examination and treatment. He is one of 14 Palestinian doctors from Gaza currently being held by Israel without charge. In April, PHRI filed a petition with Israel's high court of justice seeking the release of the doctors and is awaiting the next stage of proceedings. The concerns do not stop with Abu Safiya. The five doctors visited by PHRI on 4 June, all detained for more than two years without charge, reported a deterioration in prison conditions during the past two months. According to their accounts, prison guards forced detainees to sit or lie on metal beds or on the floor for most of the day. One doctor reported frequent use of teargas, while two others said they had not appeared before a judge since December, when their detention was extended indefinitely. The Israel Prison Service said it could not provide information about the detention status of specific prisoners because of privacy obligations. It also said the allegations described did not reflect its practices. The Israel Defense Forces did not respond to a request for comment regarding Abu Safiya's detention without formal charges. Israel puts Palestinian doctor in solitary confinement after 17 months held without charge | Israel | The Guardian
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