Hossam Abu Safiya has been held by Israel since last December. Photo: MedGlobal
Hossam Abu Safiya has been held by Israel since last December. Photo: MedGlobal
Hossam Abu Safiya has been held by Israel since last December. Photo: MedGlobal
Hossam Abu Safiya has been held by Israel since last December. Photo: MedGlobal

Fears rising for Gaza doctor held by Israel for 200 days


Nagham Mohanna
  • English
  • Arabic

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.

Gaza's hospitals have come under repeated attack by Israel, which says Hamas uses them as bases. EPA
Gaza's hospitals have come under repeated attack by Israel, which says Hamas uses them as bases. EPA

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.”

Haircare resolutions 2021

From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.

1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'

You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.

2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'

Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.

3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’

Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

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The%20specs
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Test

Director: S Sashikanth

Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan

Star rating: 2/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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Match info

Wolves 0

Arsenal 2 (Saka 43', Lacazette 85')

Man of the match: Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal)

Business Insights
  • As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses. 
  • SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income. 
  • Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Full Party in the Park line-up

2pm – Andreah

3pm – Supernovas

4.30pm – The Boxtones

5.30pm – Lighthouse Family

7pm – Step On DJs

8pm – Richard Ashcroft

9.30pm – Chris Wright

10pm – Fatboy Slim

11pm – Hollaphonic

 

The specs: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio

Price, base: Dh198,300
Engine: 2.0L in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 280hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7L / 100km

We Weren’t Supposed to Survive But We Did

We weren’t supposed to survive but we did.      
We weren’t supposed to remember but we did.              
We weren’t supposed to write but we did.  
We weren’t supposed to fight but we did.              
We weren’t supposed to organise but we did.
We weren’t supposed to rap but we did.        
We weren’t supposed to find allies but we did.
We weren’t supposed to grow communities but we did.        
We weren’t supposed to return but WE ARE.
Amira Sakalla

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
While you're here
What is a robo-adviser?

Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.

These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.

Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.

Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.

The past Palme d'Or winners

2018 Shoplifters, Hirokazu Kore-eda

2017 The Square, Ruben Ostlund

2016 I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach

2015 DheepanJacques Audiard

2014 Winter Sleep (Kış Uykusu), Nuri Bilge Ceylan

2013 Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d'Adèle: Chapitres 1 et 2), Abdellatif Kechiche, Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux

2012 Amour, Michael Haneke

2011 The Tree of LifeTerrence Malick

2010 Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Lung Bunmi Raluek Chat), Apichatpong Weerasethakul

2009 The White Ribbon (Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte), Michael Haneke

2008 The Class (Entre les murs), Laurent Cantet

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AWARDS
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Profile of Tarabut Gateway

Founder: Abdulla Almoayed

Based: UAE

Founded: 2017

Number of employees: 35

Sector: FinTech

Raised: $13 million

Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
MATCH INFO

Rajasthan Royals 158-8 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 143/7 (20 ovs)

Rajasthan Royals won by 15 runs

Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

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 

How Beautiful this world is!
Updated: July 15, 2025, 5:32 AM