International law expert Professor Mohamed Mehran has condemned the extended detention of Dr Hossam Abu Safia, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, describing it as a clear war crime under international law. The Israeli occupation court recently extended his detention by six months, a move Mehran says violates protections for medical personnel enshrined in the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Professor Mehran highlighted that international humanitarian law explicitly safeguards hospitals and medical staff during armed conflicts, forbidding their detention or targeting. He warned that arresting a hospital director amid Gaza’s severe medical shortages constitutes a double violation, deliberately undermining the healthcare system. He further criticised the occupation’s courts, noting they fail to meet basic standards of justice, operating under discriminatory military laws rather than international norms.

He urged the international community and human rights organisations to pressure Israel for the immediate release of Dr Abu Safia and other detained medical personnel. Mehran emphasised that these violations are documented and will eventually face accountability before the International Criminal Court, underscoring that the detention of medical staff during a humanitarian crisis constitutes a compounded crime against humanity.