95 Palestinian Healthcare Workers Held Captive By Israel – What’s Happening To Them Behind Bars? | World News
Washington: Dozens of Palestinian doctors and healthcare workers are calling for immediate action to release Dr Hussam Abu Safia and 94 other healthcare workers currently detained in Israel.
On Monday, Healthcare Workers Watch (HWW) and Amnesty International UK organized a protest outside St Thomas’ Hospital in central London. Demonstrators demanded the unconditional release of all detained healthcare workers, citing the terrible conditions in Israeli detention.
The protest began after an Israeli court ruled that Dr. should be detained under the Unlawful Combatants Act, which has been widely condemned by human rights groups. It follows the decision to extend Abu Safia’s detention for another six months.
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At least five healthcare workers died or were killed in Israeli custody, and five remain missing. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israeli attacks have killed 1,722 healthcare workers in the past two years alone.
HWW says many of the healthcare workers were kidnapped from hospitals or ambulances by the Israeli army while they were performing their duties. Testimonies collected by HWW describe torture, harassment and degrading treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody.
HWW’s Dr. Rebecca Inglis said: “Israel’s continued detention of nearly a hundred healthcare workers is clearly contrary to International Humanitarian Law. Given the extensive evidence that Palestinian detainees are being tortured while in Israeli detention, we are seriously concerned for their welfare.”
Who is Dr Hussam Abu Safia?
Dr Abu Safia is the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Northern Gaza. Israeli forces arrested him on December 27, 2024, after raiding one of the last functioning hospitals in the area.
Amnesty International says he is being held without charge or trial under Israeli security laws.
Despite the brutal bombardment and the death of his own son in an Israeli airstrike, Dr. Abu Safia continued to lead the hospital staff by providing care to patients under challenging conditions.
Since his detention, credible reports describe torture, physical abuse, severe weight loss, denial of medical care, lack of hygiene and delayed access to legal counsel, all violations of international law.
Israel’s Attack on Gaza’s Health Infrastructure
At least 94 percent of hospitals in Gaza were damaged or destroyed. Many doctors and healthcare workers lost their lives. The detention of medical staff, many of whom were detained in the line of duty, has placed further pressure on the fragile healthcare system.
HWW documented 431 cases of Palestinian healthcare workers detained between October 7, 2023 and October 20, 2025. Of these, 309 were confirmed to have been released; Among these, 67 were trade deadline deals on October 13. Five people remain missing, including three senior doctors, a UNRWA pharmacist and a senior physiotherapist. Five people were reported to have died in custody, although their bodies were not returned.
Families of the other 22 detained workers did not provide an update, and they are not among the confirmed figures of those detained or released.
Who Was Detained?
The 95 healthcare workers currently held by Israel have been detained for an average of 511 days; some have been imprisoned since the first weeks of the war. Of these, 80 are from Gaza and 15 are from the West Bank.
The distribution in Gaza alone includes 31 nurses, 17 doctors, 15 hospital support and management staff, 14 paramedics, two pharmacists and one medical technician. Of these, 25 are in senior roles, 50 are in mid-level positions and five are junior staff. All but one are men.
Geographically, 36 of the detainees are from Northern Gaza, 24 from Khan Younis, 18 from Gaza City and three from Rafah.
The continued detention of these healthcare workers highlights a broader crisis in Gaza’s medical sector and raises urgent questions about violations of international humanitarian law.
