Shackled in chains, Gaza icon Dr Abu Safia appears in video
Dr Hussam Abu Safia, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, appeared with both hands and feet shackled for the first time since his arrest by Israeli forces.
Israeli media broadcast a video showing Abu Safia visibly exhausted and weakened as he was escorted by prison guards. Abu Safia is regarded as one of the most prominent doctors who continued working under Israeli bombardment to save wounded Palestinians in northern Gaza.
In late December, Israeli forces stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital, arrested Abu Safia at gunpoint, and destroyed the hospital, rendering it non-functional.
His arrest sparked widespread condemnation, especially after an image circulated of him walking alone amid the ruins, dressed in his medical coat, surrounded by Israeli military vehicles – a scene that became an icon of Palestinian resilience.
According to his family, Abu Safia was subjected to torture and starvation inside Israeli prisons, a claim confirmed by a lawyer who recently visited him.
Dr Hussam Abu Safia, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, shows the damage inside his hospital caused by Israeli attacks
Doctors Against Genocide urge US Senate to help end Gaza war
Doctors Against Genocide gathered in Washington, DC to urge the US Senate to take action and end Israel’s war on Gaza.
The global coalition of healthcare workers mobilised more than 100 doctors, nurses, and medical workers on Capitol Hill.
“We are here because our duty as medical professionals does not stop at the hospital doors. It is our responsibility to protect life and to sound the alarm when we witness crimes against humanity,” Dr Nidal Jboor, the group’s co-founder, told reporters.
“What is happening to the Palestinian people is genocide, and it is funded by our tax dollars. We refuse to be complicit. We demand that the Senate take immediate action.”
Jboor said the group demands the restoration of funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and an end to the forced displacement of Palestinians.
“We also demand a permanent ceasefire, not just negotiations, but a complete end to the slaughter of innocent civilians.”
Doctors Against Genocide also demanded the release of Dr Hussam Abu Safia, director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, who was detained by Israeli forces along, with others, during a December 27 raid on the facility.
Activists protest in front of Sde Teiman prison in Israel demanding the release of Palestinians, including Dr Hussam Abu Safia
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