Israel’s Supreme Court has again rejected an appeal by prominent Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu Safia, who is being held under the Unlawful Combatants Law without any criminal charges, according to Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI). Abu Safia remains in solitary confinement at Nafha Prison under harsh conditions and continues to be denied necessary medical care, citing information from his lawyer Nasser Odeh. The Palestinian doctor, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, appealed for immediate release via video link after more than a year of imprisonment, appearing noticeably thinner and reportedly showing visible signs of torture, according to his family.

Abu Safia has been held without charge for over 500 days since his abduction by Israel in late 2024. He defied Israeli forced displacement orders to leave the Gaza hospital where he worked, choosing instead to remain to treat patients. The Palestinian Centre for Prisoners Advocacy condemned the court's decision to continue his detention without charges or indictment, holding Israeli authorities responsible for his life and safety and calling for his immediate release and urgent medical care.

International human rights organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, the World Health Organization, and United Nations Special Rapporteurs, have been urged by advocacy groups to intervene and pressure Israel to end what they describe as arbitrary detention of medical and humanitarian personnel. Naji Abbas, director of the Prisoners and Detainees Department at PHRI, called Abu Safia’s continued detention "a profound moral and legal failure," criticizing the court for endorsing indefinite detention without due process while the doctor suffers untreated medical conditions.

Before his detention, Abu Safia was known for public appeals to halt Israeli attacks on medical facilities and led a funeral procession for his son Ibrahim, who was killed in an Israeli drone strike at the hospital gate. The case highlights ongoing tensions around Israel’s use of the Unlawful Combatants Law and the treatment of Palestinian medical personnel.