The Disappearance of Dr Abu Safiya

For more than two decades, Dr Hussam Abu Safiya served as a paediatrician in northern Gaza, rising to lead Kamal Adwan Hospital. Though he had many chances to leave, he chose to stay with his patients even as Israeli attacks escalated.

With each passing month, the toll deepened. His son was killed, his hospital repeatedly struck, and his life threatened. Still, he remained at Kamal Adwan. His resilience was captured in a 10-second video: a lone paediatrician in a white coat walking through rubble towards Israeli forces. To the world, it symbolised defiance. To his family and colleagues, it reflected who he always was.

By late 2024, as Israel intensified its campaign to drive Palestinians out of northern Gaza, hospitals became both sanctuaries and targets. Kamal Adwan, a 300-bed facility already battered by shortages and bombardment, became a focal point of that campaign.

On December 27, 2024, Israeli forces stormed the hospital, detaining 240 staff and patients, stripping them, and rendering the facility inoperable. Abu Safiya, who refused to abandon his post, was beaten and taken into custody under Israel’s “Unlawful Combatants Law”, with no charges or release date.

Through firsthand testimony, archival footage, and on-the-ground reporting, Fault Lines investigates the assault on Kamal Adwan Hospital, the raid that led to Abu Safiya’s unlawful detention, and the broader targeting of Gaza’s healthcare system.