Israel has declined to release two Palestinian doctors, including paediatrician Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, in the latest ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
A Hamas official told CNN Tel Aviv refused to release Safiya.
Dr Marwan Al Hams, the director of field hospitals in Gaza, will also not be released, the official added.
The senior doctor was detained from the enclave in July, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Dr Safiya was taken into custody on December 27, 2024, when Israeli troops stormed the Kamal Adwan Hospital, forced him out at gunpoint and destroyed the hospital, leaving it out of service.
Since then, he has been held under Israel's "unlawful combatants law," which allows for detention without trial based on secret evidence.
He became a high‑visibility figure in Gaza’s healthcare system because he remained on duty under extreme conditions, refusing orders to evacuate and continuing to tend to wounded civilians even as bombardment mounted.
His legal team has reported that he has not been brought before a judge since March and has been subjected to harsh detention conditions, including physical abuse, lack of medical care, and prolonged solitary confinement.
Despite international calls for his release due to his deteriorating health and the critical role he played in Gaza's healthcare system, Israel has maintained his detention.
Video footage from the aftermath of the raid in which he was arrested showed him wearing a white medical coat, walking amid the debris towards Israeli tanks.
The Israeli military claims that Abu Safiya is being held as a "suspect" and is under investigation for "possible involvement in terrorist activities."
In September, Physicians for Human Rights said one of its lawyers recently visited Abu Safiya at Ofer Prison, west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, and documented the conditions of his detention.
According to the group, Abu Safiya has lost nearly 25 kilogrammes, suffers from scabies without receiving proper treatment, and faces a severe decline in his overall health.
He remains unaware of the charges against him.
The organisation said the doctor is subjected to violence, ill-treatment and denial of medical checkups despite a history of heart disease and high blood pressure.
His detention conditions reportedly include food shortages, lack of clean clothing, and repeated assaults by prison guards.
Naji Abbas, who heads the group’s prisoners’ department, urged Israel to release Abu Safiya and other detained health workers immediately, calling their detention a “moral and legal crime”.
In February, Israeli media aired video footage showing Abu Safiya in custody, shackled hand and foot and appearing visibly exhausted.
Abu Safiya has also suffered personal losses during the war.
His son Ibrahim was killed when Israeli forces raided Kamal Adwan Hospital on October 26, 2024.
A month later, he himself was injured in an Israeli strike on the hospital but refused to leave and continued treating patients.
He was eventually taken into custody on December 27, 2024, when Israeli troops stormed the facility.
