Israel v. A Pediatrician - The Case of Dr. Husam Abu Safiya

Israel v. A Pediatrician - The Case of Dr. Husam Abu Safiya

From This Is Palestine by The Institute for Middle East Understanding

July 2, 2026 · 33 min · Episode 155

About this episode

This episode discusses the case of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a Palestinian pediatrician detained by Israel, and the implications for healthcare workers in Palestine.

When footage of renowned Palestinian pediatrician Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya appeared before Israel’s Supreme Court, many were shocked by how much he had changed. Shackled, visibly frail, and having lost nearly 40 kilograms in prison, he had already spent more than 18 months in Israeli detention without charge. In this episode of This Is Palestine, we unpack Dr. Abu Safiya’s case. We speak with Naji Abbas, Director of the Prisoners and Detainees Department at Physicians for Human Rights Israel, about Israel’s so-called “Unlawful Combatants Law,” the conditions Dr. Abu Safiya and other detained healthcare workers have endured, and what his imprisonment reveals about Israel’s targeting of Palestinian medical personnel since the outbreak of the genocide in Gaza. Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu

People in this episode

Host: Diana Buttu

Guest: Naji Abbas

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Physicians for Human Rights Israel, The Institute for Middle East Understanding

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