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Gaza Hospital Chief Held by Israel Becomes Face of Crumbling Healthcare

Hossam Abu Safiyeh (C), director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, supervises the treatment of a Palestinian man, injured in an Israeli strike on Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on November 21, 2024. (AFP)
Hossam Abu Safiyeh (C), director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, supervises the treatment of a Palestinian man, injured in an Israeli strike on Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on November 21, 2024. (AFP)
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Gaza Hospital Chief Held by Israel Becomes Face of Crumbling Healthcare

Hossam Abu Safiyeh (C), director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, supervises the treatment of a Palestinian man, injured in an Israeli strike on Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on November 21, 2024. (AFP)
Hossam Abu Safiyeh (C), director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, supervises the treatment of a Palestinian man, injured in an Israeli strike on Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on November 21, 2024. (AFP)

Israel's raid on a major Gaza hospital and the arrest of its director over alleged links to Hamas have drawn global attention to the war-ravaged territory's crumbling healthcare system.

For weeks, as fighting escalated around the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza's Beit Lahia area, its head Hossam Abu Safiyeh made desperate appeals to the international community to intervene and stop the violence "before it is too late".

In the early hours of Friday, the Israeli military launched a major raid on the hospital, describing it as "one of the largest operations" it had conducted since the war in Gaza broke out in October last year.

The raid ended a day later, with the military announcing that it killed more than 20 fighters and arrested over 240, including Abu Safiyeh on suspicion of "being a Hamas operative".

Since then, the whereabouts of the 51-year-old pediatrician have been unknown.

The World Health Organization has said Kamal Adwan Hospital has been out of service ever since, a massive blow to the healthcare system in northern Gaza, where tens of thousands live under ongoing Israeli bombardment.

His family believes he is being detained at the Sde Teiman military base in the Negev desert, near Gaza.

- 'Deadly attacks' -

"This detention center is notorious for the mistreatment of prisoners," his son, Idris Abu Safiyeh, said in a video message on Monday evening.

"We have received testimonies from released detainees who reported that he was subjected to humiliation and abuse," he said. "He was reportedly forced to strip".

Despite repeated attempts by AFP, the Israeli military has declined to specify Abu Safiyeh's location. It has also not responded to allegations of his abuse.

Several other medical staff of Kamal Adwan Hospital were detained in the raid as well.

"There is no justification for these arrests other than a desire to destroy the healthcare system," Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for Gaza's civil defense agency, told AFP. He described the situation as "catastrophic and tragic."

On Tuesday, a United Nations report revealed that Israeli strikes on and near hospitals in Gaza have led to the near total collapse of the healthcare system in the Palestinian territory of 2.4 million people.

"Israel's pattern of deadly attacks on and near hospitals in Gaza, and associated combat, pushed the healthcare system to the brink of total collapse, with catastrophic effect on Palestinians' access to health and medical care," the UN human rights office said in a statement.

- 'Hero in a white robe' -

Israeli officials have repeatedly accused Hamas of using the territory's hospitals as command and control centers for launching attacks against Israeli forces.

Abu Safiyeh's family has urged the international community to pressure Israel for his prompt release -- and their message has resonated.

The World Health Organization led by its chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has called for the "immediate release" of the hospital director.

Rights group Amnesty International has echoed the call, saying Abu Safiyeh had been the "voice of Gaza's decimated health sector".

Healthcare professionals across the world have also urged for his release, rallying on social media under the hashtag #FreeDrHussamAbuSafiya.

He was praised as a "hero in a white robe" in several social media posts for continuing his work amid an intense Israeli military campaign in northern Gaza.

Since October 6, Israeli forces have intensified their land and sea assault on northern Gaza, saying it was aimed at preventing Hamas from regrouping there.

According to the US-based NGO MedGlobal, which employs him, Abu Safiyeh lost a teenage son in an Israeli air strike in late October, while he himself was injured in the leg days later.

From a hospital bed, he, however, declared in a video that the injury would not deter him from fulfilling his mission, "whatever the cost".

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Arab World

Hamas Calls for Sanctions Against Israel Over New West Bank Moves 

A drone view shows Kedar Sheep farm, an Israeli outpost in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, January 20, 2026. (Reuters)
A drone view shows Kedar Sheep farm, an Israeli outpost in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, January 20, 2026. (Reuters)
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Hamas Calls for Sanctions Against Israel Over New West Bank Moves 

A drone view shows Kedar Sheep farm, an Israeli outpost in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, January 20, 2026. (Reuters)
A drone view shows Kedar Sheep farm, an Israeli outpost in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, January 20, 2026. (Reuters)

Hamas on Tuesday called for sanctions against Israel, welcoming a joint condemnation by nearly 20 countries of new Israeli measures aimed at tightening control over the occupied West Bank.

Israel has approved a series of initiatives this month backed by far-right ministers, including launching a process to register land in the West Bank as "state property" and allowing Israelis to purchase land there directly.

Late on Monday, 18 countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and European powers France and Spain, slammed Israel over the recent moves.

They "are part of a clear trajectory that aims to change the reality on the ground and to advance unacceptable de facto annexation", the countries said.

"Such actions are a deliberate and direct attack on the viability of the Palestinian state and the implementation of the two-state solution."

Hamas hailed the condemnation as "a step in the right direction in confronting the occupation's expansionist plans, which flagrantly violate international law and relevant UN resolutions".

The group in a statement urged the countries involved "to impose deterrent sanctions and exert pressure on the fascist occupation government to halt its policies aimed at entrenching annexation, colonial settlement and forced displacement".

It said the Israeli measures were part of ongoing "aggression" against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

In addition to roughly three million Palestinians, more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements and outposts in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law.

Israel's current government has accelerated settlement expansion, approving a record 54 settlements in 2025, according to activists.

The West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, is envisioned as the core of a future Palestinian state, but many on Israel's religious right view it as part of Israel's historic homeland.

Arab World

Israel Seeking Direct Military Coordination with Lebanon 

Lebanese soldiers and UNIFIL forces on patrol in Naqoura southern Lebanon. (Reuters file)
Lebanese soldiers and UNIFIL forces on patrol in Naqoura southern Lebanon. (Reuters file)
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Israel Seeking Direct Military Coordination with Lebanon 

Lebanese soldiers and UNIFIL forces on patrol in Naqoura southern Lebanon. (Reuters file)
Lebanese soldiers and UNIFIL forces on patrol in Naqoura southern Lebanon. (Reuters file)

Israel is seeking to alter the post-ceasefire coordination mechanism along the Lebanese border by establishing direct contact with the Lebanese army, bypassing the United Nations peacekeeping force deployed in the south, said Israeli media.

The proposal has reignited debate in Beirut over the future of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the role of international oversight in southern Lebanon, with Lebanese officials insisting that any modification must remain strictly within the United Nations framework.

Reports attributed to Israel’s security establishment say the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has recently adopted what Israeli officials describe as a “confrontational stance” toward the Israeli military.

Israeli media quoted officials as telling American counterparts that direct coordination between the Israeli military and the Lebanese army would be preferable to the current arrangement, which operates through UNIFIL. Some officials reportedly argued that the peacekeeping force now causes “more harm than benefit.”

The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation said Israel’s security establishment believes UNIFIL has grown increasingly “hostile” in recent weeks.

The force’s mandate in southern Lebanon is due to expire at the end of this year.

Lebanese officials have responded by underscoring that the country’s position remains anchored in international legality and UN authority.

Fadi Alame, head of the Foreign Affairs and Immigrants Committee in Lebanon’s parliament, said Israeli media discussions “do not bind Lebanon,” stressing that “Lebanon’s sole reference remains the international resolutions issued by the United Nations.”

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Alame reiterated Lebanon’s commitment to Resolution 1701 and expressed support for UNIFIL.

He said the force monitors implementation of the resolution and safeguards Lebanon’s rights and sovereignty within the UN framework.

“As long as there is a UN resolution in force, any amendment or termination must occur through the United Nations itself,” he stated. “International law requires an international monitoring body as long as the resolution remains in effect.”

Addressing speculation about replacing UNIFIL or shifting to direct coordination with the Lebanese army, Alame said Beirut’s official stance remains unchanged.

“Lebanon is committed to Resolution 1701 under a clear government decision,” he underlined. “For us, Resolution 1701 and other UN resolutions remain the foundation.”

He added that Lebanon is awaiting a report from the UN secretary-general in June that is expected to outline potential options. These could range from maintaining the current international force to introducing a European-led presence or increasing the number of international observers.

Any proposal, he stressed, would remain subject to UN approval.

Meanwhile, a Lebanese ministerial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Israel’s proposal for direct coordination without UNIFIL “raises questions,” noting that the peacekeeping force is already embedded in the existing tripartite coordination mechanism.

Communication with Israel is conducted through UNIFIL under an established framework, the source explained, adding that Lebanon insists on maintaining an international sponsor and monitoring body as long as Resolution 1701 has not been fully implemented.

European proposals remain under discussion, including the possibility of a European-led force under French supervision or a mission focused on training and equipping the Lebanese army to assume expanded responsibilities. However, these ideas have yet to crystallize and remain tied to future political and security developments.

The debate follows a UN Security Council decision in August 2025 to extend UNIFIL’s mandate until December 31, 2026, with a coordinated drawdown planned to begin the following year.

UNIFIL has been deployed in southern Lebanon since 1978. It serves as a monitoring and buffer force, overseeing implementation of Resolution 1701 and supporting the Lebanese army’s deployment south of the Litani River.

Arab World

Gas, Transport and Charity Kitchens Deepen Ramadan Hardship in Gaza

Palestinians share the iftar meal amid homes destroyed by Israeli bombardment in Gaza on Sunday (EPA). 
Palestinians share the iftar meal amid homes destroyed by Israeli bombardment in Gaza on Sunday (EPA). 
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Gas, Transport and Charity Kitchens Deepen Ramadan Hardship in Gaza

Palestinians share the iftar meal amid homes destroyed by Israeli bombardment in Gaza on Sunday (EPA). 
Palestinians share the iftar meal amid homes destroyed by Israeli bombardment in Gaza on Sunday (EPA). 

As Ramadan enters its sixth day, residents of the Gaza Strip are grappling with mounting daily pressures amid a web of crises that extend well beyond soaring prices for basic goods.

For many families, access to essentials such as cooking gas, adequate food and transportation has become an exhausting struggle.

Among the most acute problems is the shortage of cooking gas, leaving most households reliant on firewood. But wood is also scarce and increasingly expensive, particularly during Ramadan, when demand rises, including from restaurants facing the same fuel shortages.

The Gaza Petroleum Authority distributes limited quantities of gas to residents — eight kilograms per household — without a fixed timetable. Distribution cycles are irregular due to the limited and inconsistent flow of supplies into the territory.

Hassan Al-Masri, 45, said residents can wait three or four months to receive just eight kilograms, less than the 12 kilograms or more typically held by a standard gas cylinder.

The shortage has severely affected families’ ability to prepare meals, particularly during Ramadan. Samar Abu Al-Jebin, from Jabalia and currently displaced at a shelter in the Al-Nasr neighborhood, said preparing food for her family of nine, especially the pre-dawn suhoor meal, has become increasingly difficult. On some days, she relies on meals distributed by charity kitchens for iftar.

Even those who manage to receive food aid say the quality has deteriorated.

In a camp on the outskirts of Al-Shati refugee camp, northwest of Gaza City, hundreds of tents shelter families displaced from northern Gaza. Residents say the meals provided by charity kitchens, many operating on behalf of international organizations, are often extremely poor in quality.

Ahmed Labad, 39, displaced from Beit Lahia, said that for nearly two months, even before Ramadan began, meals have been substandard. “Most of it is thrown away,” he said, explaining that only those with no alternative eat the food to feed their children. He questioned the level of oversight on kitchens operating for international and other institutions.

Firas Al-Kafarna, a resident of the camp, said that since the beginning of Ramadan, only the first day’s meal had been of acceptable quality. “After that, families have been throwing the food in the trash,” he said, adding that complaints are coming from displacement camps and shelters across the Gaza Strip due to the very poor meals being served.

Some families living in partially damaged homes also depend on the charity kitchens because of severe economic hardship. Yet residents say much of the distributed food ultimately ends up discarded.

Gaza’s Ministry of Social Development, run by Hamas, has issued instructions to all organizations providing meals — particularly to displaced people — to improve quality.

The ministry stressed that kitchens should not limit distributions to plain rice or thin stews without additions, and called for including meat and poultry, especially given the recent influx of frozen products allowed into Gaza.

According to Al-Kafarna, however, none of the organizations have complied with these directives so far.

Beyond food and fuel, transportation has become another daily burden. A shortage of vehicles — many destroyed during the war — combined with a severe liquidity crisis has complicated movement across the territory.

Anas Hamid, 21, displaced from the Shujaiya neighborhood east of Gaza City to Al-Nasr in the west, said drivers insist on cash payments and frequently vary fares from one location to another. “There is no unified fare,” he said, questioning the absence of effective oversight.

Driver Hassan Al-Hanawi said many drivers avoid electronic banking applications or digital wallets for several reasons, including unreliable internet access, the absence of bank accounts among some drivers, and fuel station owners who require payment in cash rather than electronically.

The Hamas-run government has issued several circulars instructing drivers to accept worn banknotes and encouraging the use of electronic payment systems. However, implementation has remained limited.

With vehicle shortages persisting, many residents have turned to bicycles — once uncommon in Gaza — to meet daily needs. Demand has surged, though supply remains limited and prices have risen sharply compared to pre-war levels.

Nabil Al-Tayef, 26, initially used his bicycle to run errands for his family before joining a delivery office as restaurants and shops gradually resumed operations.

Most delivery services now rely heavily on young men using their own bicycles. Motorbikes are rare, and electric bicycles — recently permitted into Gaza through a single trader — are prohibitively expensive, costing more than $3,500, compared with $500 to $700 before the war.