A Palestinian prisoners’ advocacy group says Israeli forces have abducted hundreds of Palestinian medical personnel and health workers in Gaza ever since the occupying Tel Aviv regime unleashed its genocidal campaign in the besieged territory in October 2023.
According to the Palestine Center for Prisoners Studies, Israeli forces have kidnapped over 360 healthcare workers, four of whom have died in custody due to torture and medical neglect.
The center noted that the Israel Prison Service (IPS) authorities continue to hold approximately 3,500 detainees from Gaza, including doctors, paramedics, and administrators.
Among the abductees are Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a prominent pediatrician and the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, and Dr. Mohammed Obeid, an orthopedic surgeon who used to work at the same hospital.
The group highlighted that Israeli forces have raided multiple hospitals amid military offensives, such as Kamal Adwan, al-Shifa, Indonesian, al-Awda, and Nasser Hospitals, detaining both patients and medical personnel, and even evacuating entire departments.
Additionally, some paramedics were abducted while rescuing and transporting the injured in ambulances.
It emphasized that the detention of healthcare professionals constitutes a blatant violation of international law and humanitarian accords, which prohibit the targeting of medical staff during times of armed conflict.
It also urged the World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders to take immediate action, safeguard medical personnel, and advocate for the release of detainees, especially Dr. Abu Safiya, who is reportedly experiencing a deteriorating health condition at Ofer Prison.
Last July, the lawyer of the abducted Palestinian doctor said his client was being starved and tortured by Israeli forces and was in critical condition.
Ramy Abdu wrote on the social media platform X that he visited his client on July 9, and that the physical and mental condition of Dr. Abu Safiya was getting worse every day.
“He has lost over 40 kilograms, more than one-third of his body weight. At the time of his , he weighed 100 kilograms; today, he weighs no more than 60 kilograms.”
“On June 24, 2025, he was severely beaten. His room (Room 1, Section 24, Ofer Prison) was specifically raided. He was brutally assaulted in the chest area and sustained severe bruises to the face, head, back, and neck. The beating lasted approximately 30 minutes,” Abdu wrote.
According to the lawyer, after this brutal torture, Dr. Abu Safiya requested medical care, proper testing, and examination by a cardiologist, but the Israeli regime denied his request.
Source:Websites
