Physicians' group accuses Israel of lying about location of Gaza doctor

The group Physicians for Human Rights Israel over the weekend claimed Israeli military officials lied about holding Gaza-based Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya in custody. The Israeli military on  Thursday confirmed that Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya was in their custody. Israel Defense Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said the Israeli military arrested Abu Safiya because he was, allegedly, a member of the terrorist group Hamas.

But the group of physicians last week said after Abu Safiya’s arrest, documentation of his whereabouts ceased. When the physicians’ organization tried to schedule a lawyer to visit Abu Safiya, the Israeli military said that Abu Safiya was not in their custody and was not under arrest, despite previously confirming that he was. The organization said that contradicted clear evidence that he was arrested. 

The group later issued a public statement demanding information about Abu Safiya’s whereabouts and providing details about his arrest. The organization said that on Dec. 27, 2024, Israeli soldiers arrested Abu Safiya while raiding a hospital in Gaza. The organization cited a witness to his arrest, another doctor who claimed to see Israeli soldiers dress Abu Safiya up in a white prison uniform.

Why is the disappearance of this doctor a big deal? The organization claims that hundreds of forced disappearances of medical personnel have taken place since Israel invaded Gaza. These forced disappearances have deprived people in Gaza of essential medical care, Physicians for Human Rights Israel said.

Dig deeper: Read my report about the IDF’s killing of a Hamas leader in Gaza yesterday.