Free Dr. Mosaab Samaan, seized in Gaza and held by Israel for 837 days

As part of their campaign to free 14 doctors seized in Gaza and held in Israel’s prisons without charge or trial, under “administrative detention”, Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) have started publishing profiles of the 14 doctors on X, which I’ll be sharing here.

The first profile is of Dr. Mosaab Samaan (or Simaan), a physician at Al-Aqsa Hospital, who was detained on February 16, 2024, while treating patients at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, along with eleven other doctors and medical staff seized on the same day, as I explained in my detailed report last month, “Who Are the 75 Doctors and Medical Staff from Gaza Still Held in Israel’s Gruesome Prisons for Palestinians?” (see the link below).

As PHRI explained, “He remains in custody without charges or trial and has not had legal representation at any of his hearings.”

PHRI also explained that, during a conversation with him, he “expressed deep despair, saying all he wants is to return to his family.” He reported “suffering from abscesses across his body caused by a scabies outbreak in prison”, adding that, “Despite repeatedly requesting medical treatment, his pleas have been ignored by prison staff.”

As PHRI also explained, “Over the past two years, detained healthcare workers have reported enduring severe prison conditions, including starvation, medical neglect, violence, and torture. These conditions have led to the deaths of at least 103 detainees, including five healthcare workers from Gaza”, among them the renowned surgeon Dr. Adnan Al-Bursh, who reportedly died as a result of injuries when he was subjected to rape by prison guards. None of the bodies of the deceased have been returned to their families.

PHRI added, “As Gaza’s healthcare system continues to collapse under the weight of widespread destruction and critical shortages, Israel continues to detain its physicians without trial, in violation of international law. Gaza’s healthcare system cannot recover while the physicians responsible for saving lives remain imprisoned. We call for the detention orders against these physicians to be revoked and for their immediate release, so they can reunite with their families and communities and resume their life-saving work.”