**Israeli Forces Confirm Holding of Gaza Hospital Director**
The Israeli military has confirmed that they are holding Dr Hussam Ab Safiya, the director of a hospital in Gaza. This comes after a local non-governmental organization was told by Israel that they were unaware of his case.
Dr Abu Safiya is being investigated by Israeli security services, according to a statement from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). He is suspected of being a terrorist and having a position in Hamas, the armed Palestinian group at conflict with Israel in Gaza.
**Concerns for His Safety**
The Israeli military claimed that Dr Abu Safiya’s hospital was a “Hamas terrorist base” when they arrested him last Friday. The IDF informed Physicians for Human Rights Israel on Thursday that it had no indication of his arrest or detention.
A petition was submitted to the Israeli High Court of Justice, demanding that Dr Abu Safiya be located. Amnesty International has called for the Israeli authorities to disclose his location urgently.
**Harsh Conditions in Detention**
Amnesty’s Agnes Callamard said that hundreds of Palestinian healthcare workers have been detained by Israel without charge or trial and subjected to torture and other forms of ill-treatment.
The family of Dr Abu Safiya believes he is being held at the Sde Teiman base in southern Israel. Medical staff told the BBC that the IDF ordered everyone to leave the Kamal Adwan Hospital on Friday morning last week, giving them 15 minutes to move all patients and staff to the courtyard.
**Israeli Blockade of Gaza**
The Israeli military has tightened its blockade on parts of northern Gaza since October. The UN said that the area was under “near total siege” due to severe restrictions on aid access for an estimated 10,000-15,000 people.
Read More @ www.bbc.com