Israeli court refuses to release 14 Gaza doctors held without charge or trial

Israeli courts have rejected petitions seeking the release of 14 Palestinian doctors from the Gaza Strip who are being held without charge or trial, an Israeli rights group said Wednesday.

Physicians for Human Rights Israel said in a statement that two petitions concerning Palestinian doctors detained from Gaza had been rejected.

"The Supreme Court refused to release 14 doctors, including hospital directors and specialist physicians," the group said.

It added that the Lod District Court rejected a request to allow Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, to undergo an independent medical examination and obtain a second medical opinion despite "concerning indications in his medical records."

"The 14 doctors are being held in Israeli prisons without being charged or brought to trial," the organization said.

Some have been detained for more than two years while Gaza's health system is suffering from an acute shortage of medical personnel, it added.

Gaza's health sector has been largely devastated during Israel's genocide in the enclave since October 2023, while around 90% of its overall infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.

Abu Safiya was detained by the Israeli army on Dec. 27, 2024, during a raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza.

Israel is holding him without charge or trial under its "Unlawful Combatants Law," which allows prolonged detention based on intelligence files and classified evidence, according to the rights group.