Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya wins 2026 Arab Doctor Award

• The Council of Arab Health Ministers presented the award during its 65th session in Cairo.
• Palestinian Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan accepted the award on his behalf.
• Abu Safiya was arrested on Dec. 27, 2024, during an ‘Israeli’ raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza.

Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu Safiya, who has been held in ‘Israeli’ detention since Dec. 2024, has received the 2026 Arab Doctor Award in the field of resilience medicine, recognising his efforts to continue providing medical care in Gaza despite the destruction of healthcare facilities, repeated attacks and severe shortages during the war.

The award was presented during the 65th session of the Council of Arab Health Ministers, held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo on Tuesday. Palestinian Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan accepted the honour on Abu Safiya's behalf from Egyptian Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, who chairs the council. The Palestinian Authority had nominated Abu Safiya in recognition of his medical and humanitarian work in the Gaza Strip.

The ceremony was attended by Arab health ministers, Palestine's permanent representative to the Arab League, Ambassador Muhannad Al-Aklouk, and representatives of the organisation's General Secretariat.

Detention and concerns over his health

Abu Safiya was detained on Dec. 27, 2024, during an ‘Israeli’ military raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza. At the time, he was the hospital's director and one of the most prominent medical figures documenting the deteriorating humanitarian and healthcare situation in the north.

‘Israeli’ forces had surrounded the hospital and ordered its evacuation amid an intensified military operation in northern Gaza. Abu Safiya continued working to treat patients, despite repeated attacks on the facility and mounting shortages of medicines, medical equipment and fuel. The raid ultimately forced the hospital out of service, while Abu Safiya and other medical personnel were detained.

He has since been held under ‘Israel's’ Unlawful Combatants Law, which allows authorities to detain Palestinians from Gaza without bringing criminal charges or conducting a conventional trial. Human rights organisations have repeatedly challenged the legality of his detention, arguing that he has been deprived of basic due-process protections.

‘Israeli’ authorities have alleged that Abu Safiya had links to Hamas, accusations that have been disputed by his lawyers and family. His continued detention has drawn international criticism, particularly as he has not been formally charged with a criminal offence.

His detention has also raised growing concerns over his physical condition. According to Amnesty International, Abu Safiya has reported torture and other ill-treatment, including severe physical and psychological abuse and prolonged solitary confinement. The organisation said in July 2026 that information from his lawyer indicated his life was at imminent risk. The UN human rights office subsequently called on ‘Israel’ to release him or charge him with a recognisable criminal offence and provide him with urgent medical care.

On June 16, 2026, ‘Israel's’ Supreme Court rejected an appeal against his continued detention, upholding an order that allowed authorities to keep him imprisoned without trial.

Further concerns were reported on Nov. 11, when The Guardian published details from medical records reviewed by an independent medical expert. The records reportedly documented weight loss, chest pain, bruising, dizziness and other health problems, prompting renewed calls for an independent medical examination.

Abu Safiya's recognition with the Arab Doctor Award comes amid continued calls for his release and highlights the circumstances faced by Palestinian medical workers during the war on Gaza, as well as the ongoing concerns surrounding the treatment and detention of healthcare professionals.

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