Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, along with leaders from Amnesty International and other organizations, has called for the release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, was arrested over the weekend during an IDF raid on the facility.
HAMAS DOCTOR
Advocates claim that Abu Safiya is an innocent doctor, vital to providing medical care in the Gaza Strip. But is he? What do we know about his arrest and the allegations against him?
Open-source evidence confirms that Abu Safiya holds the rank of colonel in Hamas. According to a statement released by the IDF on Saturday, he was arrested on suspicion of terrorism. The IDF also asserts that Kamal Adwan Hospital was being used as a command and control center by Hamas.
What do we know about Kamal Adwan Hospital?
During the raid, the IDF arrested 240 individuals, 15 of whom have been confirmed as participants in the October 7 Hamas massacre in Israel.
The IDF emphasized that civilians were evacuated from the hospital before the operation began, countering claims that Israel deliberately targeted non-combatants.
Additional evidence of Hamas activity at the hospital comes from a Kurdish doctor who volunteered there in the spring. After leaving Gaza, the doctor released a video describing his interactions with Hamas operatives actively operating within the hospital.
In December 2023, Israel arrested and interrogated the previous director of Kamal Adwan Hospital. During his interrogation, he admitted that the facility was used by Hamas for storing weapons and housing personnel involved in actions against Israel.
Kamal Adwan Hospital is classified as a military hospital under Hamas's Military Medical Services Directorate, distinct from the Hamas-run Health Ministry. This classification was confirmed in a December 2023 CNN report and supported by photographs shared on social media. One photo from 2016 shows the opening of the hospital complex, describing it as “equipped to serve military personnel in the Ministry of Interior and National Security.”
Is Kamal Adwan Hospital Irreplaceable?
Contrary to claims that the loss of this facility severely impacts Gaza's healthcare system, COGAT reports that 13 field hospitals and approximately 10 local hospitals continue to operate in the region, providing essential services to the population.