| THE LIEIsrael is illegally detaining and torturing Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a Gazan pediatrician. |
| THE TRUTH Abu Safiya is a Hamas colonel who operated one of Gaza’s primary terrorist command centers. There is no evidence he was tortured, and his detention is lawful under both Israeli and international law. |
| BACKGROUND On July 14, 2026, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) demanded that Israel release Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, calling him a “Palestinian pediatrician” who is “being held and reportedly tortured in an Israeli prison with no charges, no trial and no Due Process.” (X) Israel arrested Abu Safiya on Dec. 27, 2024, and holds him under its Incarceration of Unlawful Combatants Law. (JNS), (UKLFI) Raskin’s demand is the latest move in a months-long media campaign accusing Israel of illegally jailing and torturing an innocent doctor. (NGO Monitor), (Honest Reporting) Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Amnesty International, the UN, and other anti-Israel voices have all called for Abu Safiya’s release. (X), (JNS) |
| TRUTH EXPLAINED Abu Safiya, director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, is a Hamas colonel — not merely a “Palestinian pediatrician,” as US lawmakers and activists claim. He has also served as a Hamas propaganda voice abroad, including in The New York Times. (JNS), (Honest Reporting) Under his leadership, Kamal Adwan Hospital became a Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror hub, a fact Hamas members themselves have admitted. (UKLFI), (NGO Monitor) An Israeli investigator told Channel 12 in January 2025 that more than 240 terrorists were found at the hospital, including at least 15 who took part in the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre. (NGO Monitor), (JNS) Israel’s Permanent Mission to the UN stated on July 10, 2026 that Abu Safiya “enabled Hamas terrorist activity against Israeli forces during IDF operations in Gaza, posing a direct threat to Israel’s national security.” (JNS) Abu Safiya also diverted humanitarian aid intended for civilians toward terrorist purposes, according to Israel’s UN mission. (JNS) Claims that Abu Safiya is tortured daily are contradicted by his court appearances, which showed no signs of abuse. (JNS) Abu Safiya’s detention is legal both under Israel’s Incarceration of Unlawful Combatants Law and under the Fourth Geneva Convention, Articles 48 and 72. (UKLFI), (Article 42), (Article 78) |
| QUOTES “The massive and highly orchestrated propaganda campaign for Abu Safiya highlights his importance to Hamas and its allies.” — NGO Monitor Founder and President Prof. Gerald M. Steinberg “There are employees in [Kamal Adwan] hospital who are military operatives of [Hamas’] Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades – doctors, nurses, paramedics, clerks, and staff members.” — Former Kamal Adwan Hospital Director Ahmed al-Kahlout |
| TAKEAWAY The “innocent Palestinian pediatrician” narrative peddled by Rep. Jamie Raskin, Bernie Sanders, AOC, Amnesty International, and the UN is a grotesque Hamas propaganda lie. Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya is a Hamas colonel who managed a major terrorist command hub disguised as a hospital, sheltering over 240 terrorists—including Oct. 7 massacre participants—while diverting civilian aid to jihadis and enabling attacks on Israeli forces. Israel lawfully detained him under the Incarceration of Unlawful Combatants Law and international conventions like the Fourth Geneva; there’s zero evidence of torture, only court appearances showing an unharmed operative. This orchestrated campaign to spring a high-value terrorist exposes the Western “human rights” voices who whitewash Hamas monsters as victims. |
