Dr Hussam Abu Safiya: Before and After
CrossFireArabia- June 11, 2026
Activists on social media circulated a photo on Wednesday of imprisoned Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, during his appearance before an Israeli military court.
The photo clearly showed signs of his deteriorating health. Abu Safiya appeared to have lost a significant amount of weight, with visible signs of extreme exhaustion and emaciation, along with his long beard. This comes amidst reports from his family and human rights organizations that he is being subjected to torture, ill-treatment, and medical neglect in Israeli prisons.
Abu Safiya’s last public appearance was in February 2025, when an Israeli television channel broadcast footage of him in chains being violently led by Israeli soldiers inside a prison while being interrogated by Israeli intelligence officers.
Abu Safiya’s family had previously warned of the continued deterioration in his health, confirming that he was being subjected to torture and ill-treatment, in addition to significant weight loss due to the harsh conditions of his detention.
Abu Safiya is considered one of the most prominent medical professionals in the Gaza Strip. He garnered widespread attention during the war for his insistence on continuing his work at Kamal Adwan Hospital despite the bombing and siege. He was the last to leave the hospital after it was stormed by the occupation forces, having refused to evacuate it while large numbers of wounded and sick people remained inside during the large-scale attack launched by the occupation on the northern Gaza Strip in what became known as the “Generals’ Plan.”
