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Israel Confirms a Gaza Hospital Director Is at Notorious Military Prison in West Bank

Supporters of the Health Workers 4 Palestine movement demonstrate in solidarity with Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan hospital in the Gaza Strip, in front of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, 06 January 2025. (EPA)
Supporters of the Health Workers 4 Palestine movement demonstrate in solidarity with Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan hospital in the Gaza Strip, in front of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, 06 January 2025. (EPA)
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Israel Confirms a Gaza Hospital Director Is at Notorious Military Prison in West Bank

Supporters of the Health Workers 4 Palestine movement demonstrate in solidarity with Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan hospital in the Gaza Strip, in front of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, 06 January 2025. (EPA)
Supporters of the Health Workers 4 Palestine movement demonstrate in solidarity with Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan hospital in the Gaza Strip, in front of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, 06 January 2025. (EPA)

An Israeli rights group says Hossam Abu Safiya, the director of a north Gaza hospital who had disappeared since he was taken by Israeli troops during a raid two weeks ago, is being held in a notorious Israeli military prison in the occupied West Bank.

The group, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, said the Israeli military confirmed in an email that Abu Safiya is at Ofer Prison. A lawyer for Abu Safiya’s family was told that he will not be allowed to see him until Jan. 29, said a spokesman for PHRI, Ran Yaron, told The Associated Press. The military had previously refused to comment when asked by the AP about Abu Safiya’s location.

Colleagues and family have expressed fears over the safety of Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, after troops seized him and dozens of others during a Dec. 27 raid on the hospital. Former detainees have reported harsh conditions at Ofer Prison, including beatings, minimal food rations and refusals of medical care.

A prominent Palestinian surgeon detained in a hospital raid in December 2023 died in Ofer Prison the following April.

The military has said Abu Safiya is being investigated on suspicion of cooperating with or working for Hamas. It claims that Hamas fighters were using the hospital as a refuge and base amid Israel’s months-long offensive in surrounding areas of north Gaza. It says it detained 240 Hamas and Islamic Jihad members from the hospital in the raid, although it has provided no evidence.

Staff deny the claims, and the Gaza Health Ministry says at least 60 medical staff were among those detained. Colleagues say the 51-year-old Abu Safiya kept Kamal Adwan Hospital operating even as Israeli troops besieged it for around 85 days starting in October.

He became known for his frequent videos, pleading for international help as Israeli fire hit the hospital multiple times during the siege. One of his sons was killed by an Israeli drone strike during the siege, and Abu Safiya was wounded by shrapnel from another strike.

Naji Abbas, of Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, said the refusal to allow a lawyer to meet Abu Safiya “raises serious concerns about the treatment he is enduring in detention.”

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Arab World

Israel Responds to Lebanon’s De-Escalation Demand with More Pressure, Attacks

A man passes on his scooter in front of a destroyed building that was hit few weeks ago by an Israeli airstrike, in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP)
A man passes on his scooter in front of a destroyed building that was hit few weeks ago by an Israeli airstrike, in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP)
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Israel Responds to Lebanon’s De-Escalation Demand with More Pressure, Attacks

A man passes on his scooter in front of a destroyed building that was hit few weeks ago by an Israeli airstrike, in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP)
A man passes on his scooter in front of a destroyed building that was hit few weeks ago by an Israeli airstrike, in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP)

Israel responded on Thursday to Lebanon’s demands for de-escalation with more evacuation warnings for southern towns that will increase internal pressure on the Lebanese state.

It issued the warnings even as Lebanese and United Nations proposals have been relayed to Israel over consolidating the ceasefire in the South. At the moment, these efforts appear to have yielded little results save for keeping Lebanese state infrastructure out of Israel’s targets.

UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert informed on Thursday Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on the outcome of her visit to Israel on Sunday as part of efforts to consolidate the ceasefire.

Informed sources said her visit yielded no initiative. Lebanese ministerial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that she conveyed “ideas and visions” to Israeli officials over how to consolidate the ceasefire and pave the way for negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.

Her efforts were met with an Israeli escalation with the warnings to southern towns in the Tyre and Nabatieh districts.

Israel has repeatedly said that its operations are solely aimed against Hezbollah, not the Lebanese state. Lebanese sources, however, view the attacks as an attempt to increase pressure against the state. The warnings are leading to the displacement of tens of thousands of people, which is increasing pressure on the state that views direct negotiations with Israel as a solution to the problem.

The “Shiite duo” of Hezbollah and its ally, Amal, are opposed to the talks.

Aoun has through his various diplomatic contacts been urging Israel to commit to the ceasefire that US President Donald Trump extended for another three weeks. Aoun has also been calling for Israel to release Lebanese detainees and withdraw from Lebanese territories.

He met on Thursday with a delegation from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. He stressed to it the need for Israel to respect international laws and agreements and cease attacks against civilians, medics, and civil defense, humanitarian, health and relief teams.

Berri and Hezbollah

Meanwhile, differences between Aoun and parliament Speaker and Amal movement leader Nabih Berri over direct negotiations with Israel came to the open on Wednesday.

Telecommunications Minister Charles al-Hage said: “There are no disputes between them over the end goals. The main goals are ending the destruction and killing.”

“Not a single Lebanese person trusts Israel, and so, we need international guarantees, especially ones from the US and Arab countries, led by Saudi Arabia, to ensure that the ceasefire will be respected and consolidated,” he added.

In a statement on Labor Day, which falls on May 1, Berri called on the Lebanese “state, and all of its authorities, and the international community, and its rights and justice organizations, to make Israel immediately cease its attacks.” He also called for an international probe into Israel’s crimes in Lebanon.

Hezbollah, meanwhile, continued its attacks against Aoun over direct negotiations with Israel.

Member of the Iran-backed party’s Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Ali Fayyad said the president’s stance is “increasingly alarming because he is promoting American demands, rather than distancing himself from them.”

“Most dangerous is that he is agreeing to them without making a clear objection to allowing Israel freedom of movement even though he has been demanding a ceasefire,” he said in remarks to local radio.

How can a date for the next round of talks be scheduled amid the ongoing Israeli attacks and escalation? he wondered.

He noted that there appears to be “clear confusion in the official Lebanese stance and a lack of transparency. Most dangerous of all is the undisclosed American-Israeli side agreement that has given Israel the green light to act freely against potential threats. Aoun’s statements imply that he has agreed to this.”

Arab World

Syrian Authorities Hold Onto Campaign to Root Out Illegal Enrichment

The head of Syria's committee for combating illicit enrichment, Basel Al-Suwaidan (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The head of Syria's committee for combating illicit enrichment, Basel Al-Suwaidan (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Syrian Authorities Hold Onto Campaign to Root Out Illegal Enrichment

The head of Syria's committee for combating illicit enrichment, Basel Al-Suwaidan (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The head of Syria's committee for combating illicit enrichment, Basel Al-Suwaidan (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The head of Syria's committee for combating illicit enrichment, Basel Al-Suwaidan, has revealed that settlements reached with prominent businessmen accused of ties with former president Bashar Al-Assad had returned to the state treasury as assets belonging to the Syrian people.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Suwaidan said that the committee had received hundreds of voluntary disclosure requests, leading to many settlements, while others were rejected for not meeting the criteria.

"How does the committee define the limits of illicit gains?" Asharq Al-Awsat asked him. He explained that illicit enrichment is "a legal concept inherently tied to individuals, defined as any unjustified increase in financial wealth that is disproportionate to the owner's known legitimate resources, and for which they are unable to provide a legal and convincing explanation of its source."

This includes companies, real estate and stocks.

Al-Suwaidan said that despite the committee's work being linked to individuals, it adopts objective criteria for selecting cases. He stressed that accountability is based on financial evidence, not on position or status.

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa issued Presidential Decree No. 13 on May 4, 2025, concerning the formation of the committee to protect public funds, combat illicit gains in all its forms, and recover illegal funds.

On December 28, 2025, the committee launched the voluntary disclosure program for a period of six months, along with its official website, which includes services for reporting, voluntary disclosure, inquiries, and communication with the committee.

Al-Suwaidan clarified that the program represents one of the main tools adopted by the committee within its internal operating system, and it is an integral part of legal work, not an exceptional measure.

The program is defined as "a mechanism that allows individuals whose funds are linked to suspicions of illicit gains to voluntarily disclose them, subjecting them to comprehensive financial and legal scrutiny, leading to an organized settlement through which funds or assets to be recovered for the state are determined."

He noted that the adoption of this mechanism was based on UN recommendations.

According to Al-Suwaidan, past experiences have shown that relying exclusively on traditional judicial paths can be time-consuming, leading to asset freezes or loss, whereas voluntary disclosure allows for faster and more efficient recovery.

Syrian authorities reached in mid-April a settlement with Wassim Qattan and his brothers, as well as Naim Al-Jarrah, as part of the voluntary disclosure requests submitted to the committee.

A settlement has also been reached with businessman Samer Al-Foz. Another settlement involved businessman Tarif Al-Akhras, in line with adopted official procedures.

However, Mohammad Hamsho, who was a prominent businessman accused of ties to Assad's rule and of profiting from the country's war, was the first to reach a formal settlement with the Syrian authorities.

Al-Suwaidan stressed, however, that the voluntary disclosure program does not exonerate suspects. It rather works in parallel with the judicial path.

He explained to Asharq Al-Awsat that the primary goal is to reduce the time taken by litigation procedures and alleviate the burden on the Syrian judiciary.

Al-Suwaidan revealed that the number of cases undergoing examination is estimated in the thousands.

Arab World

US Urges Meeting Between Lebanese President, Israeli PM

An explosion of what appears to be white phosphorus fired by the Israeli army on the Lebanese side of the Israel-Lebanon border as seen from the Israeli side of the border, April 30, 2026. (Reuters)
An explosion of what appears to be white phosphorus fired by the Israeli army on the Lebanese side of the Israel-Lebanon border as seen from the Israeli side of the border, April 30, 2026. (Reuters)
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US Urges Meeting Between Lebanese President, Israeli PM

An explosion of what appears to be white phosphorus fired by the Israeli army on the Lebanese side of the Israel-Lebanon border as seen from the Israeli side of the border, April 30, 2026. (Reuters)
An explosion of what appears to be white phosphorus fired by the Israeli army on the Lebanese side of the Israel-Lebanon border as seen from the Israeli side of the border, April 30, 2026. (Reuters)

The US embassy in Lebanon on Thursday urged a meeting between Lebanese and Israeli leaders as the health ministry said Israeli strikes on the country's south killed at least 17 people despite an ongoing ceasefire.

Israeli and Lebanese representatives this month have met twice in Washington -- the first such meetings in decades -- after Iran-backed Hezbollah group drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2, sparking heavy Israeli strikes and a ground invasion.

After the first talks, US President Donald Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon that began on April 17, and a three-week extension after the second round.

Trump has said he hopes to host Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "over the next couple of weeks" as the two countries prepare for direct negotiations.

The planned negotiations have caused a rift in Lebanon, with Hezbollah rejecting direct negotiations as well as Beirut's previous commitment to disarm it.

"Lebanon stands at a crossroads. Its people have a historic opportunity to reclaim their country and shape their future as a truly sovereign, independent nation," the embassy said, adding that "the time for hesitation is over".

A direct meeting between Aoun and Netanyahu, "facilitated by President Trump, would give Lebanon the chance to secure concrete guarantees on full sovereignty, territorial integrity, secure borders, humanitarian and reconstruction support, and the complete restoration of Lebanese state authority over every inch of its territory -- guaranteed by the United States," the statement added.

- 'Violations' -

On Wednesday, Aoun said Israel "must first fully implement the ceasefire in order to move on to negotiations... Israeli attacks cannot continue as they are."

"We are now waiting for the United States to set a date to begin direct negotiations" with Israel, he said.

Israel has kept up deadly strikes on Lebanon despite the truce, and its soldiers are operating inside a "Yellow Line" running some 10 kilometers (six miles) deep inside Lebanon along the border.

Lebanon's health ministry said Israeli strikes in the south killed 17 people on Thursday, including five women and two children, while the army said another strike killed one of its soldiers.

Israel's army also said one of its soldiers had been killed in south Lebanon.

Aoun on Thursday slammed "continuing Israeli violations" in the country's south.

Speaking to a delegation from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, he said these were occurring "despite the ceasefire, as do demolitions of homes and places of worship, while the number of killed and wounded rises".

"Pressure must be exerted on Israel to ensure it respects international laws and conventions and ceases targeting civilians, paramedics, civil defense, and humanitarian health and relief organizations," Aoun said, on a day when three civil defense personnel killed by Israel were buried.

- 'Will not surrender' -

The NNA reported multiple Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Thursday, while an Israeli army spokesperson called for the evacuation of more than 20 southern villages.

Hezbollah claimed 10 attacks on Israeli army targets in south Lebanon, including tanks and soldiers.

In Beirut, dozens of southern Lebanon residents and local officials gathered to protest Israel's ongoing destruction of their villages.

Protester Hanaa Ibrahim, 48, told AFP that "we will not surrender and will not normalize" relations with Israel.

The text of the ceasefire, published by the US State Department, grants Israel the right to act against "planned, imminent or ongoing attacks".

Hezbollah rejects that language, saying it was never presented to Lebanon's cabinet, in which members of the group are represented.

On Wednesday, Aoun had said the wording "is the same text that was adopted in November 2024" as part of the ceasefire agreement ending the last war, adding that "all parties" at the time had agreed to the text.

Parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, called Aoun's remarks "inaccurate, to say the least, and this also applies to the November 2024 agreement".