Amnesty calls for Dr Abu Safiya's release as he completes 600 days in Israeli detention

Amnesty International has called for the release of Palestinian paediatrician Hussam Abu Safiya, who has completed 600 days in Israeli detention. Abu Safiya, director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, rose to international prominence during Israel's genocide due to his role in helping victims. He was abducted by Israel on 27 December 2024 and has been held without charge or trial since. “He is still being held without charge, separated from his family, his colleagues, and the children he lovingly treated,” Amnesty International said in a statement. “Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya stood at the centre of Kamal Adwan Hospital as Gaza's healthcare system collapsed around him. Day in, day out, he treated his patients and carried out his medical duties, working through unbearable loss and grief. He bore witness to the devastating toll of Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza,” the statement read. Throughout this time, Abu Safiya, like numerous Palestinian healthcare workers, refused to abandon his patients. “He stayed at the hospital until the last second when Israeli forces raided it again and arbitrarily arrested him on 27 December 2024,” the statement said. In July, more than 800 doctors, nurses and medical professionals in the UK signed an open letter to foreign secretary Yvette Cooper, calling for her urgent intervention to secure the release of Abu Safiya. Dr Abu Safiya was abducted by Israel on 27 December 2024 and has been held without charge or trial since. (AFP)