A prominent Palestinian doctor, Hussam Abu Safiya, captured by the Israeli military in Gaza in late 2024, appeared by video link at a Supreme Court hearing in Jerusalem on Wednesday. He has been held in detention ever since, with his family and an Israeli rights group saying he has lost significant weight and suffered injuries while in prison.

Detention and Allegations

Abu Safiya’s brother, Muafaq, reported that the family learned through his lawyer that he had lost 40 kg (88 lb) in prison and suffered four fractured ribs and other ailments. An Israeli rights group, Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI), has said Abu Safiya is among a group of Gazan doctors held by Israel who have been denied adequate food.

Israel’s prison service has denied these allegations. The Supreme Court was hearing an appeal from Abu Safiya’s lawyer, Nasser Odeh, challenging his detention. The court is expected to announce its decision later.

Health and Treatment

Following the hearing, Odeh told reporters his client was handcuffed and shackled throughout the proceedings and said he was being held in solitary confinement. Odeh also stated that Abu Safiya was receiving medical treatment, including for severe neck and back pain caused by an assault during detention or medications for a chronic illness.

Abu Safiya also had his eyeglasses confiscated and was experiencing vision problems as a result, and his hands were showing signs of skin disease, which Odeh said was widespread among Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.