A United Nations investigation on Wednesday expressed worry over reports of mistreatment against a prominent Palestinian physician captured by the Israeli military in Gaza in December 2024 and currently held in Israel, urging his immediate release. The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, called for the release of Hussam Abu Safiya, who serves as the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Gaza Strip. Various rights organizations and Abu Safiya’s legal representative have stated that his life is at risk, alleging that he is being detained without any formal charges, as per Physicians for Human Rights Israel, an Israeli rights organization.
According to the UN inquiry, “The actions of the Israeli Prison Service guards towards Palestinian detainees raise grave concerns of violations of international law that likely amount to international crimes. Dr. Abu Safiya’s medical condition is the direct result of these actions.” An Israel Prison Service spokesperson refuted the claims, stating that the allegations against them were baseless and untrue.
Abu Safiya’s legal counsel raised concerns about his deteriorating health and reported daily abuse during a court hearing in June, where Abu Safiya appeared visibly thinner. The UN inquiry noted that the treatment of Abu Safiya by Israeli authorities aligns with a broader pattern of violations identified in previous reports.
In September 2025, the inquiry accused Israeli authorities of targeting the healthcare system and medical professionals in Gaza since October 2023, alleging genocide. Israel dismissed these accusations as scandalous and criticized the inquiry for its alleged bias against the country, refusing to cooperate with it. A separate UN rights body also labeled Israel’s detention of Abu Safiya as arbitrary and called for his immediate release, citing violations of human rights declarations.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes and gunfire resulted in the deaths of at least nine Palestinians, including two children aged 10 and six, in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, as reported by health officials. Israeli military actions led to casualties near a school in Gaza City and a tent for displaced individuals in the Mawasi area in Khan Younis. The Israeli military stated that they targeted militants but were unaware of the resulting casualties.
Additional strikes in Gaza City claimed more lives and left several individuals wounded, bringing the day’s death toll to at least nine. Since a ceasefire agreement mediated by the US with Hamas last October, Israel has conducted numerous strikes in Gaza, citing the targeting of militants posing threats to its forces or involved in previous attacks on Israel. Hamas has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire, with both parties alleged to have breached the agreement, according to Nikolay Mladenov, the US President Donald Trump-appointed Board of Peace envoy to Gaza. Data from both sides revealed that over 1,070 Palestinians, predominantly civilians, and four Israeli soldiers have lost their lives in Gaza since the ceasefire went into effect nine months ago, with Hamas not disclosing its fighter casualties.