Husam Abu Safiyyeh is a Palestinian pediatrician and neonatologist born on November 21, 1973, in Gaza. He served as the chief physician and director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. He is particularly recognized for remaining at the hospital and continuing healthcare services during the conflicts in Gaza after 2023.

Husam Abu Safiyyeh (also known as Abu Ilyas) was born on November 21, 1973, in the Jabaliya Refugee Camp in northern Gaza Strip. His family belonged to a Palestinian family forcibly displaced from the village of Hamama in the Ashkelon region in 1948. Abu Safiyyeh completed his medical education in Gaza and specialized in child health and neonatal intensive care. He earned a master’s degree in pediatrics and neonatology and obtained certification from the Palestinian Medical Association, continuing his medical career in these fields.

Husam Abu Safiyyeh began his medical career in the late 1990s. Particularly active in pediatric care, he joined the founding staff of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, Gaza, which was established during the Second Intifada to provide emergency medical services to the wounded. While working in the hospital’s pediatrics department, Abu Safiyyeh took on responsibilities for developing neonatal and pediatric intensive care services over the years.

^{Dr. Husam Abu Safiyyeh, Director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Northern Gaza (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

Over a medical career spanning more than twenty years, Abu Safiyyeh treated numerous children in Gaza and was known for the close relationships he built with his patients and their families. Over time, he also assumed administrative duties at the hospital and served as chief physician and director of Kamal Adwan Hospital during the 2020s. During this period, he coordinated with international health organizations to address shortages of medicines, fuel, and medical supplies.

In 2025, he was awarded the Nizar Benat Human Rights Defender Award by a Palestinian human rights organization for his courage in defending healthcare services during the conflict.^【1】

Following the outbreak of conflict and Israeli attacks on October 7, 2023, Kamal Adwan Hospital continued operating as one of the key healthcare centers in northern Gaza. Despite repeated Israeli military calls for the hospital to be evacuated, Husam Abu Safiyyeh chose to remain, stating that critically ill patients and newborns could not be safely transferred.^【2】

Throughout the period of siege and attacks on the hospital, Abu Safiyyeh made public statements to the international community, appealing for humanitarian assistance to sustain medical services. During this time, the hospital was hit multiple times and sustained severe damage. In October 2024, Abu Safiyyeh was briefly detained during a raid on the hospital but was later released. During the same period, his son Ibrahim Abu Safiyyeh was killed in an attack near the hospital.

In November 2024, while at the hospital, Abu Safiyyeh was injured in a drone strike, with shrapnel fragments striking his leg.^【3】 After receiving treatment, the doctor continued to remain with his staff and patients.

On December 27, 2024, the Israeli military detained Husam Abu Safiyyeh during a raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital. Israeli authorities stated that he was held under the 1939 Unlawful Combatants Law due to suspected links to Hamas, though no formal charges were brought against him.^【4】

It was reported that during his detention, Abu Safiyyeh was cut off from contact with the outside world. His family, Palestinian institutions, and international human rights organizations stated that he was held under harsh conditions in Israeli prisons, confined to solitary cells, and that his health had deteriorated.^【5】

^{Dr. Husam Abu Safiyyeh, Director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, Detained by Israel (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

In June 2026, video conference footage of Abu Safiyyeh participating in a hearing before an Israeli court was made public. His son Ilyas Abu Safiyyeh stated that visible signs of torture on his father’s face and skin conditions extending to his hands were evident in the images. The family said the footage intensified serious concerns about Abu Safiyyeh’s health and detention conditions.^【6】

The detention of Husam Abu Safiyyeh drew strong reactions from Palestinian institutions, international human rights organizations, and global medical communities. Amnesty International cited evidence of mistreatment during his detention and called for his immediate release and access to necessary medical care.

United Nations human rights experts and various international organizations also expressed concern over Israeli operations targeting Kamal Adwan Hospital and the detention of healthcare workers.^【7】

The case of Husam Abu Safiyyeh has become one of the most prominent examples in international debates concerning the safety of healthcare workers in Gaza, the protection of medical services during war, and the rights of detained individuals.

^{Detained Palestinian Doctor Husam Abu Safiyyeh (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

Husam Abu Safiyyeh is recognized for his decades-long service as a pediatrician and hospital administrator in Gaza, his steadfast commitment to maintaining healthcare services under conflict conditions, and his work at Kamal Adwan Hospital.

His supporters view him as a healthcare worker and human rights defender who persisted in his duties amid war conditions. Developments regarding his detention and health condition continue to be debated in international public opinion.