Amid heart-wrenching testimony from survivors, Palestinian human rights groups assert that Israeli authorities currently hold 24 doctors from Gaza, alongside numerous nurses, technicians and administrative staff arrested at hospitals and clinics since the war began. These detainees are reportedly held across multiple Israeli prisons, where their health has dwindled under inhumane conditions.

Among those previously detained was Dr Muhammad Abu Selmiya, former director of Al‑Shifa Medical Complex, seized in November 2023 when Israeli forces stormed the hospital. Released witnesses describe a pattern of deliberate maltreatment, degrading treatment, denial of medical care, and psychological torment inflicted by the Israeli Prison Service.

Two doctors are known to have died in detention. Dr Adnan Al‑Bursh, a leading orthopaedic surgeon at Al‑Shifa, allegedly endured days of brutal torture and repeated beatings without medical intervention despite grave deterioration in his condition. Witnesses say he was stripped from the waist down, possibly had multiple broken ribs, and was found collapsed in a prison yard. Aid from fellow inmates reportedly came too late; Dr Al‑Bursh died shortly afterwards. Human rights organisations have also raised allegations of sexual violence before his death.

Similarly, Dr Iyad Al‑Rantisi, an obstetrician and gynaecologist from Kamal Adwan Hospital, died under Israeli custody, his passing undisclosed by authorities for seven months.

Released detainee Dr Khaled Hammoud offered chilling testimony, describing the dire conditions at Sde Teiman Camp. He confirmed Dr Al‑Bursh and other specialised medical professionals were kept in squalid conditions and subjected to relentless physical and mental abuse.

The World Health Organization, the United Nations, and rights groups including Physicians for Human Rights and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly protested against the arrests, and highlighted the mistreatment of medical staff. Reports have emphasised that healthcare workers are being detained arbitrarily without charge, often as part of systematic campaigns.

Palestinian Ministry of Health figures indicate that from October–November 2023 through to July–August 2025, over 400 doctors, nurses, technicians and administrators have been detained. Many have been released during prisoner exchanges or at other times, typically without any formal charges.

This campaign, say Palestinian officials, appears to target the health sector deliberately, removing essential medical expertise amid wartime. The Palestinian narrative frames these arrests not as isolated incidents but as part of a broader assault on Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure, deepening the suffering of a population already under siege.