Between the fangs of dogs and the whips of humiliation.. Details of the 'slow execution' journey of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya

Released prisoners revealed shocking and horrific details regarding the detention conditions of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, who is facing a journey of 'slow execution' inside the occupation prisons. Sources from inside the prisons reported that the pale appearance of the prominent doctor reflects the extent of the severe violations he has been subjected to since his arrest on December 27, 2024.

Released prisoner Ahmed Qaddas recounts that Dr. Abu Safiya's features have changed dramatically, as he transformed from a leading figure with a strong presence to an exhausted person spending his hours in silence and bewilderment. Qaddas affirmed that the systematic torture not only broke the doctor's body but also targeted his identity and human dignity in an attempt to break his steadfast will for which he was known.

Testimonies indicate that the occupation cells were filled with the doctor's screams under severe beatings, while other prisoners were prevented from offering him any help. Prisoners stated that the prison administration used gas bombs and collective punitive measures to intimidate anyone who tried to approach Abu Safiya's cell or inquire about his deteriorating health.

For his part, released prisoner Hamza Abu Amira confirmed that the doctor received special retaliatory treatment that included an 'overdose' of humiliation and verbal and physical torture by specialized suppression teams. He explained that the jailers forced the doctor, under severe pain, to repeat phrases that demeaned him, in a sadistic act aimed at destroying the morale of a Palestinian medical symbol.

Dr. Abu Safiya endured harsh periods of continuous restraint, remaining handcuffed from behind and shackled for seven consecutive days without interruption. This abuse coincided with a sharp deterioration in his digestive system, as he constantly vomited due to being given contaminated and unfit-for-human-consumption food, amid a complete deprivation of any specialized medical care.

In another painful testimony, Rami Abu Amira conveyed his observations of Dr. Hussam's return from interrogation rounds, bleeding and almost unconscious. He explained that interrogators stripped the doctor completely naked and unleashed police dogs on him to tear at his emaciated body, resulting in deep injuries and wounds all over his body.

The forms of torture were not limited to the physical aspect but also extended to nightly psychological intimidation through raiding cells and throwing sound bombs and tear gas near the doctor's head. These practices, according to observers, aim to prevent the prisoner from sleeping and keep him in a state of constant panic and nervous disorder to extract confessions or break his steadfastness.

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya is currently classified as an 'unlawful combatant,' a designation used by the occupation authorities to extend the detention of Palestinian medical personnel without fair trials. This arrest comes despite him being a medical figure protected under international laws, and despite the personal tragedy that befell him with the martyrdom of his son Ibrahim by occupation bullets prior to his arrest.

Abu Safiya joins a long list of about 737 Palestinian medical personnel who have been disappeared by occupation prisons since the start of the widespread aggression on the Gaza Strip. These personnel face inhumane detention conditions, where the prison administration deliberately targets doctors and paramedics specifically as part of a plan to destroy the Palestinian health system.

Human rights and international appeals are escalating for urgent intervention to save the life of 'the father of the sick,' as his comrades call him, before it is too late, amid news of his health reaching a critical stage. The doctor's admirers in Gaza hope that international pressure will succeed in snatching him from the clutches of death, so he can return to his humanitarian role in healing the wounds of his afflicted people.

The doctor, known worldwide for his overwhelming presence, has become a shadow of a human being whose body was broken by torture and whose voice was silenced in the occupation cells.