**MSF Calls for Release of Detained Palestinian Healthcare Workers**
*Published on July 20, 2026*
Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF) has issued a call for the immediate release of Palestinian healthcare workers currently imprisoned by Israeli authorities. In a statement released on Monday, the organization expressed its outrage regarding the treatment of these healthcare professionals, many of whom are reportedly being held under dire conditions without proper justification.
The NGO highlighted the case of Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. Dr. Abu Safia has been in solitary confinement for over a year and a half, during which he has allegedly been subjected to torture. MSF described his treatment as part of a troubling trend where Israeli authorities target and detain medical staff across Palestine.
According to the Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI), more than 50 healthcare workers, including 15 doctors, are currently being held in what they describe as inhumane conditions. The organization has taken legal action by petitioning the Israeli Supreme Court for their release.
Figures from Healthcare Workers Watch indicate that since the onset of the conflict on October 7, 2023, a total of 446 Palestinian healthcare workers have been unlawfully detained by Israeli forces. Among these, six have reportedly died in custody, with their bodies still being held by Israeli authorities.
MSF also called attention to the case of Dr. Mohammed Obeid, an orthopaedic surgeon who has been imprisoned for over 600 days after being arrested while working at Kamal Adwan Hospital. The organization emphasized the need for world leaders to condemn the actions of Israel in Palestine, stating that "silence has become complicity" in the ongoing crisis.
The organization further urged that all arbitrarily detained medical personnel be granted access to adequate medical care and humane conditions while awaiting their release. Earlier this month, a UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, along with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, called for the release of Dr. Abu Safia and all medical personnel who have been arbitrarily detained.
Dr. Abu Safia's lawyer, Nasser Odeh, has raised concerns about the physician's deteriorating health, indicating that he shows signs of regular torture. The Israeli authorities have classified him as an "unlawful combatant," which has led to his detention without trial. Before his abduction, Dr. Abu Safia was known for his vocal advocacy regarding the impact of the ongoing conflict on Gaza's healthcare system.
The situation surrounding the detention of Palestinian healthcare workers has drawn widespread attention and condemnation from various human rights organizations, emphasizing the critical need for the protection of medical staff in conflict zones. The ongoing calls for their release highlight the broader implications of the conflict on public health and medical care in the region.