"This is the last time you will see me. They brought me here to kill me."

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, to his lawyer, July 2, 2026

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a pediatrician and director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza, was abducted while treating children at his hospital on December 27, 2024. He has now endured 557 days of detention by the Israeli military, without charge or trial, marked by torture, starvation, and denial of medical care.

On July 2, 2026, after a rare permitted visit at an underground section of Nitzan Prison, his lawyer could barely recognize him due to the extent of the torture. Masked agents beat him daily, including with metal rods. He arrived at the visit shackled, covered in fresh bruises, struggling to breathe, and on the verge of losing consciousness. On June 16, 2026, Israel's Supreme Court rejected his appeal for release. His family fears he may be killed by torture in the coming days.

His son describes him as "a doctor whose only weapon is a stethoscope."

He is not alone. Over 400 Palestinian healthcare workers are held in Israeli detention without charge. Dr. Marwan Al-Hams, director of field hospitals in Gaza, has reportedly been tortured to the point of a cardiac event and denied his cardiac medication. Dr. Adnan Al-Bursh, a renowned orthopedic surgeon, died in Ofer Prison in April 2024 under circumstances human rights organizations describe as death from torture. None has been charged with any crime.

UN Special Rapporteurs, Physicians for Human Rights Israel, and Amnesty International have all warned that Dr. Abu Safiya's life is in immediate danger. This treatment violates the Geneva Conventions' protections for medical personnel, the Convention Against Torture, and Canada's core commitments under international law.

Canada has a voice and an obligation to use it. Public pressure can save his life. Sign now and demand your MP act.