(Correction: paragraph 10 clarified that Odeh said Abu Safiya was not receiving medical treatment.)
A prominent Palestinian physician taken into Israeli custody in Gaza in late 2024 made a court appearance on Wednesday by video link to the Supreme Court in Jerusalem. The televised link showed Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya looking markedly thinner than earlier public images, with weight loss visible in his face and abdomen.
Members of the press were briefly permitted inside the courtroom before being asked to leave as proceedings began. The hearing centered on an appeal filed by Abu Safiya's lawyer, Nasser Odeh, contesting the lawfulness of the doctor's continued detention. The court indicated a decision was expected later on Wednesday.
Family members have reported severe deterioration in Abu Safiya's physical condition while he has been held. In April his brother, Muafaq, said the family had been told by the lawyer that Abu Safiya had lost 40 kg (88 lb) and sustained four fractured ribs along with other ailments. An Israeli rights group has alleged that Abu Safiya is among Gazan medical staff who were denied adequate food while detained; Israel's prison authority has rejected those claims.
According to Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI), an Israeli rights organisation, Abu Safiya has been detained without formal charges for more than 500 days. PHRI also said Wednesday's appearance via video link was the first public sighting of him since February 2025.
Abu Safiya was taken from the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, in northern Gaza, during an Israeli military operation. The military has accused him of membership in the Palestinian militant group Hamas, a charge for which it has not produced verifiable evidence. Gaza's health ministry and Hamas have both denied the allegation.
After the hearing concluded, Odeh told reporters that his client had been handcuffed and shackled throughout the proceedings and was being kept in solitary confinement. Odeh said Abu Safiya was not receiving medical care, including treatment for severe neck and back pain that the lawyer said resulted from an assault during detention, as well as medications required for a chronic illness. The lawyer added that Abu Safiya's eyeglasses had been confiscated, that he was experiencing vision problems, and that there were signs of a skin disease on his hands - a condition Odeh described as widespread among Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons.
Israel's Prison Service did not immediately reply to requests for comment regarding Abu Safiya's treatment in custody.
In the video feed during the court session, Abu Safiya appeared handcuffed and was wearing a plain white t-shirt and grey tracksuit pants, attire frequently seen on Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention facilities.
Physicians for Human Rights Israel has identified Abu Safiya as one of 14 Palestinian doctors detained by Israeli forces in Gaza and held for more than a year without charge. The organisation urged their release in April, stating that the doctors had been denied sufficient medical care and adequate food and had been subjected to physical abuse while in detention. The Israeli Prison Service has dismissed such allegations of mistreatment.
PHRI also said the 14 doctors are among nearly 400 Palestinian healthcare workers detained by Israel during its military campaign in Gaza, which was launched in response to Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel.
Context of the legal challenge
The Supreme Court session was focused on the legal basis for keeping Abu Safiya in custody without charge. His lawyer's appeal seeks judicial review of the detention, and the court's ruling could determine whether he remains detained pending further proceedings. The hearing provided the first direct, if constrained, opportunity for the public and the legal system to observe his condition since early 2025.
Statements and denials
- Family and rights groups have reported substantial weight loss, physical injuries and lack of adequate medical care for Abu Safiya.
- Israeli authorities have accused him of ties to Hamas but have not released verifiable evidence to support the allegation.
- Israel's Prison Service has denied claims that the detained doctors were mistreated or deprived of proper food and care.
The Supreme Court was expected to issue its decision later on Wednesday regarding the appeal against Abu Safiya's detention.