Early last year I wrote about the unlawful detention of Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu Safiya, who had stood alone and unarmed in front of Israeli tanks as they advanced through the ruins of his hospital in Gaza.
My last blog about him was titled “When captivity is the price of courage”.
Nearly 18 months on, Dr Abu Safiya is still held in an Israeli prison. He has still not been put on trial. Israeli authorities directed that his detention be extended again in the last week of June, despite the absence of any public evidence against him.
His detention shows no sign of being brought to an end. Even more seriously, the conditions in which he being held now look like making the price he will pay for his courage in the ruins of his hospital even higher than captivity.
Dr Abu Safiya is not allowed regular visits but his lawyer, Nasser Odeh, was able to see him in the Rakefet facility in Nitzan Prison on 2nd July. He reported that Dr Abu Safiya is suffering severe physical deterioration, including visible injuries, extreme weakness, breathing difficulties and psychological distress.
According to the lawyer, Dr Abu Safiya appeared at times close to losing consciousness and expressed fear that he would not survive detention.
Dr Abu Safiya is one of dozens of Palestinian healthcare workers who remain arbitrarily detained by Israeli authorities. Since October 2023, at least 612 healthcare workers have been detained across Gaza and the West Bank, and at least five have reportedly died while detained.
The respected humanitarian charity, Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), has issued an urgent appeal for the UK government to act.
Steve Cutts, MAP Chief Executive Officer, said this week: “If Dr Abu Safiya dies in that cell, it will be murder, and everyone who had the power to stop it and did nothing will be complicit. The UK Government has the tools to act. It must use them now, before it is too late.”
The actions MAP is calling on UK ministers to take include:
- Demanding the immediate release of Dr Abu Safiya and all other Palestinian healthcare workers and detainees held without charge.
- Securing urgent, independent medical assessment and access to Dr Abu Safiya by the International Committee of the Red Cross without delay.
- Supporting accountability measures including an independent investigation into torture and ill-treatment in Israeli detention, and other serious violations of international law.
- Suspending the UK–Israel trade agreement until Israel’s widespread violations of international law are brought to an end.
Earlier this week, my former Parliamentary colleague, Phyllis Starkey, and I wrote in Labour List that a reset of policy on Israel and Palestine will help Labour demonstrate that it has rediscovered its moral compass and sense of purpose. Acting on the case of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya is an opportunity to do just that.
