A Gaza doctor detained by Israeli forces for 200 days without charge or trial is being starved, tortured and denied medical care, his family said.
Dr Hossam Abu Safiya, director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, was arrested in late December after refusing repeated Israeli orders to leave the medical complex and its patients. He has since been held in an Israeli jail in “extremely harsh and degrading conditions”, said his son, Idrees Abu Safiya.
“The lawyer told us he has been subjected to verbal and physical abuse, humiliation and mistreatment throughout his detention,” the son told The National. “My father now suffers from multiple health issues due to a lack of medical care and continuous torture in Israeli prisons."
The Palestinian paediatrician is being held in solitary confinement, with no sunlight or fresh air, his lawyer said. He is also being starved and has lost more than a third of his weight since being arrested, his son said.
He said Dr Abu Safiyah has sustained severe bruising to his face, head, neck and back from being physically assaulted, but the most pressing health concern he faces is his “irregular and unstable heartbeat, a condition that could become fatal at any moment". His son says the doctor has been denied medical attention.
“The occupation authorities continue to deny him proper medication and refuse to provide the necessary treatment,” he told The National." He has not been examined by any medical specialists to this day."
Dr Abu Safiyah was arrested last year during a prolonged Israeli raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital, featuring ground assaults that left it without basic medical necessities and a siege that left patients and medical teams stranded.
Israeli bombing reduced many of the hospital’s departments to rubble, including the intensive care unit – the only one in northern Gaza – as well as the maternity ward and neonatal unit.
Aside from being a lifeline for injured Gazans, the hospital also sheltered hundreds of displaced families. Anyone who stepped out into the hospital courtyard was “immediately targeted”, Dr Abu Safiyeh told The National in an interview last year.
The Palestinian doctor has been “arbitrarily detained” for seven months, according to Amnesty International. It says he is being held under what it calls Israel’s "repressive Unlawful Combatants Law", which allows indefinite detention without charge based on suspicion alone.
Israel has accused Dr Abu Safiya of being a terrorist and of "holding a rank" in Hamas, a claim his family denies.
“The army claims my father has ties to Hamas, a complete fabrication,” his son told The National. "My father is a doctor, committed solely to serving the Palestinian people through his humanitarian mission in medicine."
Experts have warned the targeted detention of medical workers is part of a wider campaign against Gaza’s health care system.
“We have documented a significant number of arrests and forced disappearances among Gaza’s medical staff,” Ghazi Al Majdalawi, a researcher at the Palestinian Centre for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared, told The National. “The evidence indicates a deliberate strategy by the Israeli military to dismantle Gaza’s medical infrastructure.
“Doctors are being tortured, humiliated, denied legal counsel and cut off from their families,” he added. “These acts constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Dubai World Cup Carnival Thursday race card
6.30pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group Three US$200,000 (Turf) 2,000m
7.05pm: Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,600m
7.40pm: UAE Oaks Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
8.15pm: Zabeel Mile Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m
8.50pm: Meydan Sprint Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,000m
9.25pm: Handicap $135,000 (D) 1,400m
10pm: Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,600m
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci
Pushkin Press
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
WHAT%20MACRO%20FACTORS%20ARE%20IMPACTING%20META%20TECH%20MARKETS%3F
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Looming%20global%20slowdown%20and%20recession%20in%20key%20economies%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Russia-Ukraine%20war%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Interest%20rate%20hikes%20and%20the%20rising%20cost%20of%20debt%20servicing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Oil%20price%20volatility%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Persisting%20inflationary%20pressures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Exchange%20rate%20fluctuations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shortage%20of%20labour%2Fskills%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20A%20resurgence%20of%20Covid%3F%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The low down on MPS
What is myofascial pain syndrome?
Myofascial pain syndrome refers to pain and inflammation in the body’s soft tissue. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles, which develops knots, also known as trigger points).
What are trigger points?
Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and sustained posture are the main culprits in developing trigger points.
What is myofascial or trigger-point release?
Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Votes
Total votes: 1.8 million
Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes
Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The five pillars of Islam
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
