Free Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya—an icon of civil resistance in Gaza—and all illegally detained Palestinian health workers
-- Israel denies Palestinians the right to health, and hospitals, ‘traditionally regarded as sanctuaries of humanity,’ have been turned into ‘corridors of horror.’
Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, a pediatrician and head of Kamal Adwan hospital, is one of the boldest symbols of civil resistance in Gaza.
Through his work he gave a voice to the victims of Gaza and denounced the attack on the right of all Palestinians to health and life.
On December 27, 2024, after months of Israeli siege of the hospital he built, Dr. Abu Safiya was illegally taken and imprisoned in Israel. That same day, Israeli forces raided Kamal Adwan hospital, destroyed a number of wards, and seized doctors, nurses, and patients. Since then, Dr. Abu Safiya has been detained without formal charges and has been held in solitary confinement for nearly fifty days. When his lawyer, Ghaida Qassem, finally managed to see him on February 11, 2025, she was faced with an exhausted man suffering from untreated infections and showing clear signs of torture. By her third visit on July 14, Dr. Abu Safiya had dramatically lost weight.
Recent negotiations for his release have been unsuccessful; in fact, his unlawful detention has been extended again.
Shockingly, his case is not the only one. Among the thousands of Palestinians illegally detained in Israeli prisons since October 7, 2023, at least 405 are healthcare workers; dozens of them, including 16 doctors, are still being held without charge. The conditions of many of them are unknown to this day.
At the same time, according to recent OCHA figures, Israeli forces in Gaza killed 1,722 doctors, nurses, and paramedics since October 7, 2023: it is the largest number of healthcare workers killed in recent history in a war zone and represents 8.9% of Gaza’s healthcare workforce. Currently, only 14 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals (partially) and less than 30% of its outpatient clinics are in operation. Those still functioning are in desperate condition, without electricity, anesthetics or other essential equipment for emergency care.
According to WHO, between October 2023 and May 2025 the Israeli army carried out 720 attacks on health targets in the Gaza Strip, hitting 125 medical facilities, 34 hospitals, and 186 ambulances. However, hospitals were targeted long before October 7, 2023, and not just in Gaza. WHO also reported that between 2019 and 2021 there were 563 attacks on health facilities: 288 in the West Bank, including 93 in East Jerusalem, and 275 in the Gaza Strip.
These figures do not describe a side effect of war, but a deliberate strategy: the destruction of the Palestinian healthcare system, in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and of every principle of humanitarian law. As pointed out by Dr. Safia Mahomed, a professor of bioethics and health law at the University of South Africa, hospitals, ‘traditionally regarded as sanctuaries of humanity, [have been transformed] into corridors of horror.’
The detention of Dr. Abu Safiya and his colleagues is an extension of the same logic: to punish healers, to obliterate the very act of healing.
Every day that Palestinian doctors and health workers spend in detention in Israeli jails is another day on which the universal right to health is trampled upon and human dignity is violated.
We therefore strongly demand:
▪ the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya;
▪ the release of all illegally detained healthcare workers;
▪ an urgent intervention by the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and global medical organizations to reinstate the protection of healthcare personnel in the Gaza Strip and throughout Palestine, and the sacrosanct right to healthcare for all.
Every signature, every voice, every share is an act of civil responsibility.
Today, silence is complicity.
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أطلقوا سراح الدكتور حسام أبو صفية—رمز المقاومة المدنية في غزة—وجميع العاملين الصحيين الفلسطينيين المحتجزين بشكل غير قانوني
-- تُحرم إسرائيل الفلسطينيين من حقهم في الصحة، وتحولت المستشفيات، التي كانت تُعتبر تقليدياً ملاذات إنسانية، إلى "ممرات رعب".
الدكتور حسام أبو صفية، طبيب أطفال ورئيس مستشفى كمال عدوان، يُعدّ أحد أبرز رموز المقاومة المدنية في غزة. من خلال عمله، أعطى صوتاً لضحايا غزة وشجب الاعتداء على حق جميع الفلسطينيين في الصحة والحياة
في 27 كانون الأول/ديسمبر 2024، وبعد أشهر من الحصار الإسرائيلي للمستشفى الذي بناه، تم اعتقال الدكتور أبو صفية بشكل غير قانوني وسجنه في إسرائيل. في نفس اليوم، اقتحمت القوات الإسرائيلية مستشفى كمال عدوان ودمرت عدداً من الأقسام واستولت على أطباء وممرضين ومرضى. ومنذ ذلك الحين، يُحتجز الدكتور أبو صفية دون تهمة رسمية، وقد أمضى ما يقرب من خمسين يوماً في العزل الانفرادي. عندما تمكنت محاميته غيدا قاسم من زيارته أخيراً في 11 شباط/فبراير 2025، وجدت رجلاً منهكاً يعاني من عدوى غير معالجة ويظهر عليه علامات واضحة للتعذيب. وفي زيارتها الثالثة في 14 تموز/يوليو، كان الدكتور أبو صفية قد فقد وزنه بشكل كبير.لم تنجح المفاوضات الأخيرة للإفراج عنه؛ بل تم تمديد احتجازه غير القانوني مرة أخرى
الأمر الأكثر صدمة أن حالته ليست الوحيدة. من بين آلاف الفلسطينيين المحتجزين بشكل غير قانوني في سجون إسرائيل منذ السابع من تشرين الأول/أكتوبر 2023، هناك ما لا يقل عن 405 من العاملين. في القطاع الصحي؛ عشرات منهم، بما في ذلك 16 طبيباً، ما زالوا محتجزين دون تهمة. ولا تزال ظروف العديد منهم مجهولة حتى اليوم
في الوقت نفسه، تشير أحدث أرقام مكتب تنسيق الشؤون الإنسانية (أوتشا) إلى أن القوات الإسرائيلية في غزة قتلت 1,722 طبيباً وممرضاً وفني إسعاف منذ السابع من تشرين الأول/أكتوبر 2023؛ وهو أكبر عدد من العاملين الصحيين الذين يقتلون في تاريخ الحروب الحديثة، ويشكل 8.9% من القوى العاملة في القطاع الصحي بغزة. حالياً، لا يزال 14 مستشفى فقط من أصل 36 مستشفى (جزئياً) أقل. من 30% من العيادات الخارجية تعمل. أما المستشفيات والعيادات العاملة فهي في حالة يائسة، بدون كهرباء أو مخدرات أو معدات أساسية للإسعاف الطارئ
وفقاً لمنظمة الصحة العالمية، نفذت القوات الإسرائيلية بين تشرين الأول/أكتوبر 2023 وآيار/مايو 2025 ما مجموعه 720 هجوماً على أهداف صحية في قطاع غزة، استهدف 125 منشأة طبية، و34 مستشفى، و186 سيارة إسعاف. لكن المستشفيات كانت مستهدفة منذ فترة طويلة قبل السابع من تشرين الأول/أكتوبر 2023، وليس في غزة فقط. كما أفادت منظمة الصحة العالمية بأن هناك 563 هجوماً. على منشآت صحية بين عامي 2019 و2021: 288 في الضفة الغربية، منها 93 في القدس الشرقية، و275 في قطاع غزة
هذه الأرقام لا تصف أثراً جانبياً للحرب، بل استراتيجية متعمدة: تدمير النظام الصحي الفلسطيني، في انتهاك لاتفاقية جنيف الرابعة وكل مبادئ القانون الإنساني. كما أشارت الدكتورة صفية محمد، أستاذة. أخلاقيات الطب والقانون الصحي في جامعة جنوب أفريقيا، فإن المستشفيات، التي كانت تُعتبر تقليدياً "ملاذات إنسانية، تحولت إلى ممرات رعب"
إن احتجاز الدكتور أبو صفية وزملائه هو امتداد للمنطق نفسه: معاقبة المعالجين، ومحو فعل العلاج نفسه
كل يوم يقضيه الأطباء والعاملون الصحيون الفلسطينيون في الاعتقال داخل سجون إسرائيل هو يوم آخر تُداس فيه الحق العالمي في الصحة وتُهان فيه كرامة الإنسان
لذلك، نطالب بقوة بما يلي: ▪ الإفراج الفوري وغير المشروط عن الدكتور حسام أبو صفية؛ ▪ الإفراج عن جميع العاملين الصحيين المحتجزين بشكل غير قانوني؛ ▪ تدخل عاجل من الأمم المتحدة، واللجنة الدولية للصليب الأحمر، والمنظمات الطبية العالمية لإعادة فرض الحماية للعاملين الصحيين في قطاع غزة وفي كل فلسطين، وضمان الحق المقدس في الرعاية الصحية للجميع.
كل توقيع، وكل صوت، وكل مشاركة هي فعل من أفعال المسؤولية المدنية. اليوم، الصمت تواطؤ
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Appello promosso dal Movimento Giustizia e Pace in Medio Oriente
LIBERATE IL DOTTOR HOSSAM ABU SAFIYA - SIMBOLO DELLA RESISTENZA CIVILE A GAZA – E TUTTI I LAVORATORI DELLA SANITA’ ILLEGALMENTE DETENUTI
-- In Palestina, Israele nega il diritto alla salute, e gli ospedali sono stati trasformati da “rifugi dell’umanità” in “corsie dell’orrore”.
Il dottor Hossam Abu Safiya, pediatra e direttore dell’ospedale Kamal Adwan, è uno dei simboli più coraggiosi della resistenza civile di Gaza.
Con il suo lavoro ha dato voce alle vittime di Gaza e ha denunciato l’attacco al diritto di tutti i palestinesi alla salute e alla vita.
Il 27 dicembre 2024, dopo mesi di assedio israeliano dell’ospedale da lui costruito, il dottor Abu Safiya è stato illegalmente arrestato e incarcerato in Israele. Lo stesso giorno, le forze israeliane hanno fatto irruzione nell’ospedale Kamal Adwan, hanno distrutto diversi reparti e hanno sequestrato medici, infermieri e pazienti. Da allora il dottor Abu Safiya è stato trattenuto senza che gli sia stata formalmente mossa alcuna accusa, ed è stato tenuto in isolamento per quasi cinquanta giorni. Quando la sua avvocata, Ghaida Qassem, è finalmente riuscita a vederlo, l’11 febbraio 2025, si è trovata di fronte un uomo esausto, affetto da infezioni non curate e con chiari segni di tortura. Il 14 luglio, alla sua terza visita, il dottor Abu Safiya versava in condizioni critiche, gravemente dimagrito.
Le recenti trattative per il suo rilascio non hanno avuto esito; anzi, la sua detenzione illegale è stata prolungata di altri sei mesi.
Ma il suo caso non è l’unico. Tra le migliaia di palestinesi detenuti illegalmente nelle carceri israeliane dal 7 ottobre 2023 almeno 405 sono operatori sanitari; decine di loro, tra cui 16 medici, sono ancora detenuti senza capi di imputazione, e a tutt’oggi non si sa quali siano le condizioni di molti di loro.
Sempre dal 7 ottobre 2023 a oggi, secondo dati recenti dell’OCHA, le forze israeliane hanno ucciso a Gaza 1.722 medici, infermieri e soccorritori: è il più alto numero di operatori sanitari uccisi in una zona di guerra nella storia recente e rappresenta l’8,9% del personale sanitario di Gaza. Attualmente sono operativi soltanto 14 dei 36 ospedali di Gaza (parzialmente) e meno del 30% degli ambulatori. Quelli ancora funzionanti operano in condizioni disperate, senza corrente elettrica, senza anestetici e altre dotazioni essenziali per le cure di emergenza.
Secondo dati dell’OMS, tra ottobre 2023 e maggio 2025, l’esercito israeliano ha effettuato 720 attacchi contro obiettivi sanitari nella Striscia di Gaza, colpendo 125 strutture mediche, 34 ospedali e 186 ambulanze. Ma gli ospedali erano presi di mira già molto prima del 7 ottobre 2023, e non soltanto a Gaza. Sempre secondo l’OMS, tra il 2019 e il 2021 gli attacchi contro strutture sanitarie erano stati 563: 288 in Cisgiordania, di cui 93 a Gerusalemme est, e 275 nella Striscia di Gaza.
Queste cifre non descrivono un effetto collaterale della guerra, bensì una strategia deliberata: la distruzione del sistema sanitario palestinese, in violazione della Quarta Convenzione di Ginevra e di ogni principio del diritto umanitario. Come ha fatto osservare Safia Mahomed, docente di bioetica e diritto sanitario all’Università del Sudafrica, gli ospedali, “tradizionalmente considerati rifugi dell’umanità, [sono stati trasformati] in corsie dell’orrore”.
La detenzione del dottor Abu Safiya e dei suoi colleghi è un’estensione di questa stessa logica: punire chi presta cure sanitarie, cancellare l’atto stesso di curare.
Ogni giorno in cui medici e operatori sanitari palestinesi restano rinchiusi nelle carceri israeliane, è un giorno in cui il diritto universale alla salute viene calpestato e la dignità umana violata.
Chiediamo quindi con forza:
▪ il rilascio immediato e incondizionato di Hossam Abu Safiya;
▪ il rilascio di tutti gli operatori sanitari detenuti illegalmente;
▪ un intervento urgente da parte delle Nazioni Unite, del Comitato Internazionale della Croce Rossa e delle organizzazioni mediche globali, finalizzato a ripristinare la protezione del personale sanitario, nella Striscia di Gaza e in tutta la Palestina, e il sacrosanto diritto di tutti all’assistenza sanitaria.
Ogni firma, ogni voce, ogni condivisione è un atto di responsabilità civile.
Ogni silenzio è complicità.
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Primi firmatari/First signatories
Omar Abdel-Mannan, paediatric neurologist and cofounder/President of Health Workers 4 Palestine (HW4P)
Ghassan Abu-Sittah, plastic and reconstructive surgeon, University of Glasgow, Dean
Vittorio Agnoletto, medico del lavoro, docente a contratto di Globalizzazione e Politiche della Salute, Università degli Studi Milano
Associazione Kairos APS
Associazione Sanità di frontiera Varese
ATS Academy
Marco Caldiroli, presidente MD, Medicina Democratica
Christian Jewish Allies for a just peace in Israel/Palestine
Comhlamh Justice for Palestine
Connecticut Palestine Alliance
Maura Crudeli, presidente nazionale AIEA, Associazione Nazionale Esposti Amianto, AIEA
Antonio D'Avino, medico pediatra, presidente FIMP, Federazione Italiana dei Medici Pediatri
Roberto De Vogli, Professore Associato in Salute Globale Università di Padova
Giuseppe Di Mauro, medico pediatra, presidente SIPPS, Società di Pediatria Preventiva e Sociale
Silvio Garattini, medico, fondatore e presidente dell'Istituto Farmacologico Mario Negri, Istituto Farmacologico Mario Negri
Marek Glazerman, obstetrician and gynecologist
Tanya Haj-Hassan, pediatric intensive care doctor
Health Workers 4 Palestine (HW4P)
Richard Charles Horton, editor-in chief, The Lancet
Jewish Voice for Peace Health Advisory Council
Naftali Kaminski, pneumologist, Yale School of Medicine
Abdelrahman Lawend, orthopedic surgery, Western University. US
Ruhama Marton, psychiatrist and founder of Physicians for Human Rights- Israel, Physicians for Human Rights- Israel
Jonathan Montomoli, MD, PhD, Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Rimini Hospital, Romagna Local Health Authority & Health Services Research, Evaluation and Policy Unit, Romagna Local Health Authority, Italy
Amira Nimerawi, CEO of Health Workers 4 Palestine (HW4P) and Programme Impact Specialist with the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS), specialised in emergency and sexual health care programmes in Palestine
Mark Perlmutter, orthopedic surgeon specialized in hand surgery, Carolina Regional Orthopedics, P.A. in Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Rete #digiunogaza
Rete Romana per la Solidarietà con il Popolo Palestinese
Rete Sanitari per Gaza
Danny Rosin, General Surgeon, Sheba Medical Center
Doron Schwartz, Head of the nephrology and Dialysis department, Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center
Idit Schwartz, Internal medicine and nephrology, Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center
Feroze Sidhwa, traumatologist, general and intensive care surgeon, Department of Surgery, San Joaquin General Hospital, French Camp, CA & Gaza Strip Emergency Medical Teams, World Health Organization, Khan Younis, Palestine
Roni Tamari, associate attending adult BMT service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, NY
Amit Tirosh, Tel Aviv University
Karen Tordjman, endocrinologist, Ichilov-Sourasky Medical Center
Ersilia Troiano, dietista, presidente ASAND, Associazione Scientifica Alimentazione Nutrizione e Dietetica
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INFORMATIVA EX ART. 13 DEL D.LGS. N. 196/2003
PRIVACY NOTICE PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OF LEGISLATIVE DECREE NO. 196/2003
Gentile Signore/a, Dear Sir/Madam,
Desideriamo informarLa che il D.Lgs. n. 196 del 30 giugno 2003 (“Codice in materia di protezione dei dati personali”) prevede la tutela delle persone e di altri soggetti rispetto al trattamento dei dati personali.
We wish to inform you that Legislative Decree no. 196 of 30 June 2003 (“Personal Data Protection Code”) provides for the protection of persons and other subjects with respect to the processing of personal data.
Secondo la normativa indicata, tale trattamento sarà improntato ai principi di correttezza, liceità e trasparenza e di tutela della Sua riservatezza e dei Suoi diritti.
Pursuant to the said law, such processing will be based on principles of correctness, lawfulness and transparency and on the protection of your privacy and your rights.
Ai sensi dell’articolo 13 del D.Lgs. n. 196/2003, pertanto, Le forniamo le seguenti informazioni:
In compliance with Section 13 of Legislative Decree no. 196/2003, the following information is provided:
Finalità del trattamento / Purposes of processing
I dati da Lei forniti verranno trattati con finalità di adesione per sottoscrizione. I dati non saranno utilizzati per nessun’altra finalità. The data you provide will be processed for the purpose of subscription and adhesion only. The data will not be used for any other purpose.
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Il conferimento dei dati è obbligatorio. The provision of data is mandatory.
Titolare del trattamento / Data controller
Il titolare del trattamento è Movimento Giustizia e Pace in Medio Oriente, contattabile all’indirizzo e-mail movimento.gpmo@gmail.com. The data controller is Movement for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, which can be contacted at movimento.gpmo@gmail.com
Responsabile del trattamento / Data processor
Il responsabile del trattamento è Massimo Amato, appartenente a Movimento Giustizia e Pace in Medio Oriente.
The data processor is Massimo Amato, belonging to Movement for Justice and Peace in the Middle East.
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In ogni momento potrà esercitare i Suoi diritti nei confronti del titolare del trattamento, ai sensi dell’art. 7 del D.Lgs. n. 196/2003. At any time you may exercise your rights towards the data controller in accordance with Section 7 of Legislative Decree no. 196/2003.
