A Call to Release Dr Abu Safiya, Illegally Detained by Israel

WASHINGTON (01-08) – In reaction to Israel’s continued and purposeful efforts to destroy the health care system in Gaza, activists across the country this past week have been protesting and calling for international intervention to end the intentional destruction of this vital lifeline. The deliberately planned destruction by Israeli forces of hospitals, accompanied by the killing and kidnapping of health care workers, doctors, nurses and others along with attacks against ambulances has resulted in a death toll of around an estimated 1,000 medical professionals since last September.

Of particular concern is the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, who was kidnapped and later imprisoned while preparing to evacuate the hospital as directed by the Israeli army in December of last year.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor (Euro-Med) based in Geneva on January 3 reported that Dr. Abu Safiya, presently detained at Sde Teyman military base in southern Israel, has been suffering from deteriorating health and noted that there were “alarming indications of torture and ill-treatment since his detention in late December.”

Euro-Med further warned of their concern by stating that there is a “ grave risk to his life, following patterns of deliberate killings and deaths under torture previously suffered by other doctors and medical staff arrested from Gaza since October 2023.” Their concern is partly based on former Israeli detainees who have given testimony that during their confinement in prisons and detainment centers operated by the Israeli army, they faced “severe torture and solitary confinement.”

Doctors Against Genocide along with members of Code Pink’s Flood Congress for Palestine campaign and other human rights activists on January 8 gathered at legislative office buildings across Capitol Hill demanding of legislators as their constituents that Dr. Abu Safiya be released immediately due to concerns about his present medical condition while being illegally held and tortured.

Together the groups composed of activists and doctors in white coats visited several dozen Senate and Congressional legislators’ offices in asking each representative to issue a statement demanding the immediate release of Dr. Abu Safiya along with all the health care workers illegally detained, in violation of the Geneva Convention, who are presently imprisoned by Israel. They are also calling on legislators to cosponsor the forthcoming UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act and to respect numerous worldwide human rights organizations that have concluded “Israel is committing genocidal acts against the Palestinian people.”

In addition, they are demanding that the representatives “take decisive action to stop the U.S. from arming Israel” in saying that “The U.S. has both the responsibility to protect and the responsibility to prevent genocide. Inaction in the face of such atrocities constitutes complicity, which is a legally punishable crime under U.S. federal law on genocide and the Genocide Convention.” They are also asking for immediate humanitarian relief for all Gazans and to hold Israel accountable for all its actions in Gaza.

Each visit to the eight Democrats Senate offices this reporter witnessed followed the same script of staff listening to the statements of the activists as they pressed their concerns for immediate action and asked to meet one on one in person with their respective representative. In every instance, they were assured that their concerns would be passed on to the representative and that they should request a meeting by email.

One doctor when speaking to a staff member spoke of the oath, he took to preserve life and that as a Jew felt compelled morally and ethically to speak out against the genocide by Israel. Another activist expressed her frustration with the billions of taxpayer dollars given to Israel for its genocide in Gaza when the funds are need domestically to address many pressing issues including that of the climate crisis. This while a TV in the senator’s office was showing a reporter in Los Angeles where uncontrollable wildfires are raging, destroying thousands of homes.

Report and photos by Phil Pasquini

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