Report on the Arbitrary Detention of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

This report details the arbitrary detention of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan hospital, by Israeli authorities since December 27, 2024. His arrest, part of a raid on the last functioning hospital in North Gaza at the time, and subsequent ill-treatment in detention represent a severe violation of international law. These actions directly undermine key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), by systematically dismantling healthcare infrastructure and subverting the rule of law.

Incident Background

The detention of Dr. Abu Safiya occurred within a context of the widespread decimation of Gaza’s healthcare sector. Key details of the incident include:

• Date of Arrest: December 27, 2024.
• Location: Kamal Adwan Hospital, North Gaza.
• Circumstances: Israeli forces stormed the hospital, arresting Dr. Abu Safiya along with other medical staff and patients. Dr. Abu Safiya was detained while performing his medical duties.
• Detention Status: Dr. Abu Safiya is being held without charge or trial under Israel’s Unlawful Combatants’ Law.
• Conditions of Detention: A legal visit in July 2025 reported that Dr. Abu Safiya had been subjected to assault and beatings. He showed signs of significant weight loss, attributed to severe restrictions on access to food, medical care, and hygiene for Palestinian detainees.

Violations of Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being

The targeting and detention of Dr. Abu Safiya is a direct assault on the principles of SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all. The violations include:

• Attack on Healthcare Infrastructure: The storming of Kamal Adwan Hospital, the last operational facility in its region, cripples the capacity to provide essential medical services, particularly for children.
• Targeting of Health Workers: The arrest of a hospital director and other medical staff removes critical human resources needed to run a health system under duress, directly contravening the goal of achieving universal health coverage.
• Systematic Decimation of Healthcare: These actions are indicative of a systematic effort to destroy Gaza’s healthcare system, creating conditions calculated to bring about physical destruction and preventing any progress towards SDG 3.
• Denial of Health in Detention: The reported denial of adequate medical care and food to Dr. Abu Safiya in prison is a further violation of his fundamental right to health.

Violations of Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The case undermines SDG 16, which focuses on promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable institutions. The key infringements are:

• Erosion of Justice and Rule of Law: Dr. Abu Safiya’s ongoing arbitrary detention without charge or trial is a fundamental breach of due process and the rule of law.
• Violation of International Humanitarian Law: The protection of medical personnel and facilities during conflict is a cornerstone of international law. Targeting them constitutes a severe breach that undermines peace and security.
• Lack of Institutional Accountability: The use of the Unlawful Combatants’ Law to hold a medical professional indefinitely reflects a failure of institutional accountability and a move away from just legal frameworks.
• Promotion of Violence: The reported assault and abuse of detainees are acts of violence that contravene the SDG 16 target to significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates.

Recommendations and Required Actions

In alignment with the universal commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, immediate action is required to address these grave violations. The following steps are imperative:

1. Israeli authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya.
2. All other Palestinian health workers who have been arbitrarily detained must also be released immediately and unconditionally.
3. An independent investigation must be launched into the systematic targeting of healthcare workers and infrastructure in Gaza, holding those responsible to account.
4. International partners and UN bodies must uphold their commitment to SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by ensuring compliance with international law and protecting the foundational principles of health and justice necessary for sustainable development.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article primarily addresses issues related to two Sustainable Development Goals:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: This goal is central to the article, which focuses on the detention of a hospital director, the storming of a hospital, and the overall “collapse of Gaza’s healthcare sector.” The systematic targeting of health workers and the denial of medical care to detainees directly undermine the objective of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: This goal is relevant due to the article’s emphasis on the lack of justice and the breakdown of legal protections. The text describes Dr. Abu Safiya’s “arbitrary detention without charges or trial,” the use of an “abusive Unlawful Combatants’ Law,” and the subjection of detainees to “assault and beatings.” These actions are in direct opposition to promoting peaceful societies, providing access to justice, and building effective, accountable institutions.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues discussed, the following specific targets can be identified:

1. Under SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • Target 3.d: “Strengthen the capacity of all countries… for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks.” The article highlights the exact opposite of this target by describing the “decimation of the healthcare system in Gaza.” The storming of Kamal Adwan Hospital, described as the “last functioning hospital in North Gaza,” and the arrest of its director represent a direct attack on and weakening of health system capacity.
2. Under SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • Target 16.1: “Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.” The article explicitly mentions that detainees, including Dr. Abu Safiya, were “subjected to assault and beatings.” This points directly to the persistence of violence against individuals in detention.
   • Target 16.3: “Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.” The article’s description of Dr. Abu Safiya’s “ongoing arbitrary detention without charges or trial” demonstrates a clear failure to uphold the rule of law and provide access to justice. The use of the “abusive Unlawful Combatants’ Law” further underscores the denial of due process.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article provides qualitative information that implies several indicators for measuring progress (or lack thereof):

1. For SDG 3 / Target 3.d
   • Implied Indicator: Number of attacks on health facilities and personnel. The article provides specific examples, such as the Israeli forces who “stormed Kamal Adwan Hospital” and the “systematic targeting of Palestinian health workers,” which serve as data points for this indicator.
   • Implied Indicator: Functionality of the healthcare system. The description of the “collapse of Gaza’s healthcare sector” and the reference to a “decimated healthcare sector” point to a severe decline in this indicator.
2. For SDG 16 / Target 16.1 & 16.3
   • Implied Indicator: Number of individuals held in arbitrary detention. The core of the article is the call to release Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya from his “arbitrary detention,” which directly measures this indicator.
   • Implied Indicator: Proportion of prisoners held without sentence. Dr. Abu Safiya’s detention “without charges or trial” makes him an unsentenced detainee, a key measure for Target 16.3.
   • Implied Indicator: Number of reported cases of abuse or ill-treatment in detention. The lawyer’s report that detainees were “subjected to assault and beatings” and that severe restrictions were imposed on “access to food, adequate medical care and hygiene” serves as qualitative evidence for this indicator.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: amnesty.org