Who is Hussam Abu Safia, director of key Gaza hospital detained by Israel?

Head of 1 of bluish Gaza’s past partially functioning hospitals arrested arsenic Israeli subject raids the installation and forces retired dozens of doctors and patients.

Concerns are rising astir the information of the manager of 1 of the past partially functioning hospitals successful bluish Gaza aft the Israeli subject detained him.

Hussam Abu Safia, 51, was arrested by Israeli forces during their raid connected Kamal Adwan Hospital successful Beit Lahiya connected Friday. It is not known wherever helium has been taken.

The World Health Organization said it lost contact with Abu Safia aft the raid, which besides saw the Israeli subject unit retired dozens of aesculapian unit and patients.

The manager wide of the Ministry of Health successful Gaza, Munir al-Barsh, said Abu Safia was severely beaten with batons and sticks by Israeli forces, who forced him to portion and enactment connected apparel meant for prisoners.

It was the 2nd clip successful arsenic galore months that Abu Safia had been detained by Israeli forces arsenic they behaviour their genocide successful Gaza.

Here’s what you request to cognize astir him:

Abu Safia, a paediatrician by training, is simply a salient fig successful Gaza’s healthcare system. He holds a master’s grade and a Palestinian committee certification successful paediatrics and neonatology.

Also known by his nickname Abu Elias, Abu Safia was calved connected November 21, 1973, successful the Jabalia exile campy successful the bluish Gaza Strip. His household was displaced successful 1948 from the Palestinian municipality of Hamama successful the Ashkelon district.

Abu Safia refused aggregate Israeli orders to permission Kamal Adwan Hospital aft the Israeli subject imposed a devastating blockade connected the bluish Gaza Strip connected October 5. The siege saw Israel chopped disconnected supplies of nutrient and h2o to the Palestinians successful the country portion launching aerial strikes and conducting shelling, sidesplitting hundreds of civilians.

The siege besides has had a devastating interaction connected the region’s hospitals. Abu Safia was concisely arrested and past released erstwhile Israeli forces stormed the installation successful precocious October and detained 44 of its unit members, leaving him and a fistful of aesculapian workers to attraction for dozens of wounded people.

During the aforesaid operation, Israeli forces killed Abu Safia’s lad Ibrahim successful a drone onslaught astatine the gross of the hospital. The doc led the ceremonial prayers for his lad successful the hospital’s courtyard arsenic helium accused the Israeli subject of sidesplitting his lad to punish him for refusing to permission the hospital.

In spite of the siege, the aesculapian team, which included a fewer doctors specified arsenic Abu Safia and a tiny radical of nurses, remained astatine the hospital, refusing repeated orders from the Israeli subject to leave.

By staying enactment successful the hospital, Abu Safia had kept the satellite informed of Israel’s near-daily attacks, issuing video statements and pleading for planetary involution to extremity the attacks.

He was wounded by shrapnel from an Israeli drone onslaught connected the infirmary connected November 23 portion helium was exiting the operating room. He sustained six shrapnel wounds to his thigh, which caused ruptures successful his veins and arteries. But helium pleaded to proceed his work.

“This volition not halt us,” helium said. “I was injured astatine my workplace, and that is an honour. My humor is nary much precious than that of my colleagues oregon the radical we serve. I volition instrumentality to my patients arsenic soon arsenic I recover.”