Who are the 95 Palestinian healthcare workers held captive by Israel?

More doctors and healthcare professionals are mobilising and calling for enactment to request the merchandise of Dr Hussam Abu Safia and astatine slightest 94 different Palestinian medics presently held captive by Israeli authorities.

On Monday, successful an event organised by Healthcare Workers Watch (HWW) and Amnesty International UK, doctors and healthcare workers protested extracurricular St Thomas’ Hospital successful cardinal London, calling for the contiguous and unconditional merchandise of each the detained healthcare workers presently held successful appalling conditions successful Israel.

The protestation comes conscionable days aft an Israeli tribunal extended Abu Safia’s arbitrary detention for different six months nether the wide condemned Unlawful Combatants Law.

Healthcare Workers Watch (HWW), Amnesty International UK, doctors and healthcare workers protested extracurricular St Thomas’ Hospital successful cardinal London connected October 20 [Image courtesy Healthcare Workers Watch]

A further 5 healthcare workers person died oregon been killed portion successful Israeli detention, and 5 much are missing, their whereabouts unknown. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, astatine slightest 1,722 healthcare workers person been killed successful Israeli strikes successful the past 2 years.

According to HWW, astir healthcare workers were abducted by the Israeli subject from their hospitals oregon ambulances portion they were connected duty. Testimonies collected by HWW and different organisations catalogue the torture and maltreatment that Palestinians endure successful Israeli detention.

Dr Rebecca Inglis, an intensive attraction doc and co-founder of Gaza Medic Voices, says: “Israel’s continued detention of astir 1 100 healthcare workers is successful wide contravention of International Humanitarian Law. We are gravely acrophobic for their payment fixed the extended grounds that Palestinian detainees are being tortured portion successful Israeli detention.”

Who is Dr Hussam Abu Safia?

Abu Safia, the manager of Kamal Adwan Hospital successful North Gaza, was arrested by Israeli forces connected December 27, 2024, aft troops raided the hospital, which astatine the clip was 1 of the past functioning aesculapian facilities successful the region.

Amnesty International says that the infirmary manager has been held without complaint oregon proceedings nether an Israeli information law.

Despite relentless bombardment and the tragic decease of his ain lad successful an Israeli aerial strike, Abu Safia remained connected duty, caring for patients and starring his squad done unimaginable conditions.

Since his detention, credible reports person emerged of torture, carnal maltreatment and degrading treatment, including suffering important value nonaccomplishment and the denial of capable aesculapian care, hygiene and timely entree to ineligible counsel – successful wide usurpation of planetary law.

Israel’s systematic onslaught connected Gaza’s wellness infrastructure

At slightest 94 percent of hospitals successful Gaza person been damaged oregon destroyed, with galore nary longer operational. In summation to this, skilled doctors and healthcare workers person been killed, and paired with the detention of healthcare workers – astir of whom were detained portion moving wrong hospitals and healthcare facilities – it has added to the immense unit connected Gaza’s susceptible wellness system.

Between October 7, 2023, to October 20, 2025, HWW documented a full of 431 cases of detained Palestinian healthcare workers.

As of October 20, 2025:

• 309 of the 431 detained healthcare workers are present confirmed to person been released; of which 67 were released arsenic portion of the latest speech woody connected October 13
• Five healthcare workers are inactive missing (three elder physicians, an UNRWA pharmacist and a elder physiotherapist)
• Five HCWs person reportedly been killed oregon died successful Israeli detention, however, their bodies person not been returned to their families.

HWW has said it has not yet received an update from the families of 22 detained healthcare workers, who are not included successful the “confirmed detained” oregon “confirmed released” figures.

(Al Jazeera)

Who are the different healthcare professionals being held?

The healthcare professionals inactive detained by Israel person spent an mean of 511 days successful detention, with immoderate held captive since the aboriginal weeks of the war.

Of the 95 being held, 80 are from Gaza, portion the remaining 15 are from the occupied West Bank.

From Gaza alone, 31 nurses person been detained, followed by 17 physicians, 15 infirmary enactment and absorption staff, 14 paramedics, 2 pharmacists and 1 aesculapian technician. Twenty-five held elder positions, 50 occupied mid-level positions, portion 5 were inferior healthcare workers. All but 1 are male.

Most of the healthcare workers lived successful North Gaza, with 36 of the prisoners from there, followed by 24 from Khan Younis, 18 from Gaza City and 3 from Rafah.

The array beneath lists much accusation astir the 95 healthcare workers inactive held captive by Israel.