Israeli Supreme Court Upholds Indefinite Detention of Gaza Surgeon

Israeli authorities allege that Abu Safiya, a 52-year-old pediatrician, holds a colonel’s rank in Gaza’s Military Medical Services, citing a 2016 photograph of the doctor in uniform. Supporters and medical organizations reject this characterization, arguing that the rank is a standard administrative title within the Palestinian medical corps, comparable to non-combatant uniformed health services in other nations. Naji Abbas of Physicians for Human Rights Israel described the ruling as a procedural formality that underscores a broader failure of judicial oversight for Palestinian detainees.

A Pattern of Medical Detention

Abu Safiya was detained in December 2024 during a military operation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital, where he had refused to evacuate while patients remained under his care. Since his arrest, he has been held in multiple facilities, including the Sde Teiman prison, where he reports having suffered beatings and electric shocks. Human rights advocates and UN experts have repeatedly called for his release, citing reports of torture and the denial of medical treatment. The Palestinian Center for Prisoners Advocacy maintains that the detention violates international humanitarian law, which provides specific protections for medical personnel in conflict zones. Even the editorial board of Haaretz has criticized the state's position, arguing that if evidence of wrongdoing exists, the government must formally indict the doctor rather than maintaining his indefinite detention.