ISLAMABAD: More than 160 healthcare workers, including over 20 doctors, remain in Israeli custody amid reports of abuse and torture, sparking international outrage.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised alarms over the detentions, while Palestinian medical NGO Healthcare Workers Watch (HWW) confirmed that 162 medical professionals, including senior physicians, are imprisoned, with 24 others missing after Israeli raids on hospitals.
Detainees have reportedly endured violent interrogations, beatings, and starvation. Muath Alser, HWW’s director, condemned the arrests as blatant violations of international law, warning that they have crippled Gaza’s collapsing healthcare system.
“By detaining medical staff, Israel is denying Palestinians critical care and worsening an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis,” Alser stated.
Since the war began, 297 healthcare workers have been detained, according to WHO. Testimonies from former detainees, including al-Shifa hospital director Dr. Mohammed Abu Selmia, describe brutal treatment, with beatings, deprivation of food and water, and inhumane conditions.
The United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOCH) has called for the immediate release of all detained healthcare workers, labeling their imprisonment a war crime. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that medical personnel and facilities must be protected under international humanitarian law.
Despite Israeli claims that the detained workers have ties to militant groups, the UN and other international bodies have dismissed these allegations due to a lack of evidence. Rights groups continue to demand accountability as Gaza’s healthcare system collapses under the weight of war and repression.
