Breaking: Israel finally appears to lift ban on tortured Dr Hussam Abu Safiya meeting lawyers

Human rights group urgently trying to arrange access after more than 40 days denial but fate of Dr Ahmad al-Muhanna remains unknown after well over 300 days

The Israeli occupation has finally lifted its ban on kidnapped Kamal Adwan hospital director Dr Hussam Abu Safiya meeting lawyers, after more than forty days’ arbitrary detention and repeated torture. Palestinian human rights group Al-Mezan has formally requested immediate access for lawyers to assess his condition and demand his immediate release.

Abu Safiya was kidnapped by occupation troops after they destroyed his hospital following a long siege and repeated shelling and was last seen walking resolutely toward his kidnappers and their armoured vehicles before being stripped, blindfolded and removed. He has been repeatedly tortured, including whipping with bare cables.

The fate of Al-Awda hospital director Dr Ahmad al-Muhanna, however, remains unknown. Al-Muhanna was kidnapped by Israeli forces just under a year ago, but his condition is unknown – or even whether he is still alive or has suffered the fate of other kidnapped medics and civilians who have been tortured to death while arbitrarily imprisoned.

Israel has repeatedly kidnapped doctors and other clinicians during its genocide in Gaza, which has included the wholesale destruction of almost every medical facility, including the burning of sick and wounded people too ill to move, the exposure and death of premature babies and the deliberate murder of doctors and other hospital staff. So far, UK PM Keir Starmer and his front bench have yet to mention these crimes, much less condemn them.

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