Israeli courts have refused to release 14 doctors from Gaza who are being held without charge or trial, and denied an independent medical examination to the detained director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, a rights group has said.

Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) said on Wednesday that the Supreme Court dismissed a petition seeking the release of the 14 doctors, including hospital directors and specialists in essential medical fields. In a separate ruling, a district court in Lod rejected a request for Dr Hussam Abu Safiya to undergo an independent medical examination.

Concerns over Abu Safiya's health

Abu Safiya was detained on 27 December 2024, when Israeli troops raided Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. He has been held for nearly 23 months as an "unlawful combatant", a designation Israel uses to detain people without trial, and no charges have been brought against him.

PHRI said an independent review of his medical records by Israeli specialist Professor Amit Tirosh found he had lost 14kg in four months, alongside a significant fall in haemoglobin levels and chest pain that had not been properly investigated. Tirosh was not permitted to examine Abu Safiya in person, and PHRI said the Israel Prison Service had refused to release his latest medical file.

Detentions condemned by rights group

The Supreme Court dismissed the petition for the 14 doctors after finding no grounds to intervene in the military chief of staff's decision not to release them. PHRI said some of the doctors had been held for more than two years, and that the prolonged detentions violate their rights and further undermine Gaza's already strained healthcare system.