Who are the 95 Palestinian medics still detained by Israeli authorities?
As-salamu alaykum. More than 95 Palestinian doctors and medical staff remain detained by Israeli authorities - 80 from Gaza and 15 from the occupied West Bank. Families, colleagues and healthcare groups are calling for their release, and many Muslim medical professionals and supporters are raising their voices in solidarity.
Doctors and healthcare workers have been organising and protesting to demand the immediate release of Dr Hussam Abu Safia and at least 94 other Palestinian medics held in harsh conditions in Israeli custody. Recently, activists gathered outside a central London hospital to call for the unconditional freedom of these detained healthcare workers.
This action follows a recent extension of Abu Safia’s detention for another six months under a controversial Israeli security law. Dr Hussam Abu Safia, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in north Gaza, was arrested after an Israeli raid on the hospital on December 27, 2024. Amnesty International reports he has been held without charge or trial, and there are credible accounts of ill-treatment and denial of proper medical care, legal access and basic hygiene while detained. He remained at his post throughout heavy bombardment and even after the tragic death of his son, continuing to care for patients under dire conditions.
Groups monitoring the situation report that several healthcare workers died while in detention and others are missing. The Palestinian Ministry of Health also says thousands of healthcare staff have been killed in Israeli strikes over the past two years. Many of the detainees were taken by the military from hospitals or ambulances while on duty. Testimonies collected by monitoring organisations document torture, abuse and degrading treatment suffered by Palestinians in detention.
Dr Rebecca Inglis, an intensive care doctor and co-founder of Gaza Medic Voices, said the detention of nearly one hundred healthcare workers violates International Humanitarian Law and expressed deep concern for their welfare given evidence of mistreatment.
The scale of damage to Gaza’s health system is enormous: an overwhelming majority of hospitals have been damaged or destroyed, many doctors and support staff have been killed, and the detention of active healthcare workers - most seized while working in hospitals or ambulances - has further strained the already fragile medical services.
Between October 7, 2023 and October 20, 2025, Healthcare Workers Watch documented 431 cases of detained Palestinian healthcare workers. As of October 20, 2025, those still held have spent an average of around 511 days in detention, with many taken in the early weeks of the conflict. HWW also noted they had not received updates from families of 22 detained workers, so those cases were not included in the confirmed figures.
Of the 95 currently reported detained: 80 are from Gaza and 15 from the occupied West Bank. From Gaza, the detained include 31 nurses, 17 physicians, 15 hospital support and management staff, 14 paramedics, two pharmacists and one medical technician. Many held senior or mid-level positions; most are male. Geographically, most came from North Gaza, followed by Khan Younis, Gaza City and Rafah.
May Allah grant ease to the families and protect the innocent. Many Muslim healthcare workers and communities continue to call for justice and the safe, prompt return of these medics so they can resume caring for the sick and wounded.
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