Jailed Gaza hospital chief in life-threatening condition, rights group says

Elyas Abu Safia says his father can barely breathe or speak after more than 555 days in Israeli prison.The son of a prominent Palestinian doctor abducted and held by Israel without charge has issued an urgent appeal for his father’s release, warning that his health has sharply deteriorated after more than 555 days in prison, as a rights group warned that his life was in danger.Elyas Abu Safia, the son of Dr Hussam Abu Safia, said in a video message on Sunday that his father, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, showed signs of severe abuse after Israeli authorities transferred him to solitary confinement in a maximum-security prison.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Trump hints Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu may visit US as early as next weeklist 2 of 3Lebanon’s Aoun calls on US to keep ‘always standing beside’ his countrylist 3 of 3Iran’s China envoy vows ‘special’ Hormuz treatment for ‘friendly’ countriesend of list“The day before yesterday, the lawyer Nasser Odeh managed to visit my father, where he told us painful details about this visit,” said Elyas, who is also a doctor.“My father was unable to breathe. My father was unable to speak,” he said, adding: “His face was disfigured from the marks of Torture and pain, and the blood he endured inside the prison, especially after the last court session held in Jerusalem.”Israeli forces arrested Abu Safia at work on December 27, 2024, as they intensified their attacks on northern Gaza’s healthcare system as part of the genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza. Two months earlier, an Israeli drone attack killed another of his sons, Ibrahim, at the entrance of the hospital where he worked.Elyas accused Arab and Muslim leaders of abandoning his father.“You deprived us even of your voices, your solidarity and your support, which should have been there from the start of the detention,” he said.“But sadly, your silence is a betrayal and a crime, and complicity in torturing my father and the hostages inside Israeli prisons,” he added.‘The most shocking testimony’Israel" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="142909" data-entity-type="organization">Physicians for Human Rights Israel warned that Abu Safiya’s life is in immediate danger after his transfer to the Rakefet section of Nitzan prison.