GAZA / Husni Nedim / AA

Representative of the Palestinian Medical Association said in a statement: Many doctors were arrested while performing their humanitarian duty of treating patients and saving the wounded.

Director of the Children's Hospital at Nasser Medical Complex, Dr. Ahmed al-Farra: The detained doctors committed no crime other than remaining in hospitals to carry out their humanitarian mission.

Doctors and health officials in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday demanded the immediate release of medical personnel detained in Israeli prisons, warning of the deterioration of their health conditions.

This came during two solidarity vigils organized by medical staff in front of the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis in the southern Strip and in the courtyard of the Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City, demanding the release of doctors and health workers detained by Israel.

Participants stressed that the continued detention of medical personnel exacerbates the crisis facing the health sector in Gaza.

Message of Solidarity

In a statement read by a representative of the Palestinian Medical Association during the vigil at the Shifa Complex, the association said that 'many doctors were arrested while performing their humanitarian duty of treating patients and saving the wounded,' calling for the immediate release of all detained medical personnel and ensuring their protection in accordance with international humanitarian law.

The statement added that the vigil represents a message of solidarity with captive doctors and a rejection of targeting them while carrying out their humanitarian mission.

Violation of International Law

The director of the Children's Hospital at Nasser Medical Complex, Dr. Ahmed al-Farra, said that the detained doctors 'committed no crime other than remaining in hospitals to carry out their humanitarian mission,' adding that their arrest and torture 'constitute a violation of international humanitarian law and international conventions that guarantee the protection of medical personnel during conflicts.'

He added that a number of doctors 'have died inside Israeli prisons,' calling for escalating international moves to pressure for the release of all detained medical personnel.

Alarm Bell

For his part, the Director General of Hospitals at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Mohammed Zaqout, said that information received through lawyers 'signals a real danger threatening the lives of a number of detainees,' noting that about 80 medical personnel remain detained in Israeli prisons.

He explained that among the detainees are doctors specialized in orthopedic surgery, intensive care, emergency, and cardiology, stressing that their continued absence 'deprives the health sector of competencies it desperately needs during the war.'

Zaqout called on hospitals and medical unions worldwide to act for their release, considering that their arrest occurred while performing their professional and humanitarian duty.

Arrests Inside Hospitals

Meanwhile, the director of Nasser Medical Complex, Dr. Atef al-Hout, said that Israeli forces arrested dozens of health workers during the storming of the complex on February 15, 2024, while they were continuing to provide care to patients who could not be evacuated.

He added that Israeli forces arrested 54 medical staff inside the complex, of whom 18 are still in detention so far, noting that information received through lawyers and rights organizations indicates deteriorating health conditions for some of them.

Appeal for Release of Detainees

During the vigil, Jana Abu Zahri, daughter of detained doctor Ghassan Abu Zahri, appealed to international institutions and the International Committee of the Red Cross to intervene for the release of her father and to reveal his fate.

She said the family has received only limited information about him since his arrest from inside Nasser Medical Complex, adding that the latest they received through his lawyer indicates his weight has dropped to about 45 kilograms, and he was hit by a rubber bullet in his leg.

She added: 'My father was arrested while performing his humanitarian duty of treating patients, and we call on the world to act for his release and for all detained doctors.'

Violations Against Medical Staff

At the Shifa Complex vigil, the complex's director, Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, said that medical personnel and hospitals are protected under international humanitarian law, but Israel 'directly targeted them during the war on the Gaza Strip.'

He told Anadolu that the Israeli army 'did not limit itself to destroying hospitals and killing doctors, but arrested dozens of them and killed some inside prisons,' referring to doctors Adnan al-Bursh and Riyad al-Rantisi.

Irreplaceable Absence

Abu Salmiya, who was previously detained by Israeli forces for several months before being released, explained that the detained doctors 'are subjected to physical and psychological torture and harsh treatment,' calling on international organizations and medical unions worldwide to act for their release.

He stressed that the continued detention of doctors exacerbates the health crisis in the Strip, noting that some of them represent rare specialties, and their absence 'deprives thousands of patients and wounded of irreplaceable medical services.'

Detained Corpse

For her part, Yasmine Hamada, wife of doctor Adnan al-Bursh, said her husband was arrested while working at Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza Strip, while he was treating patients, before Israeli authorities announced his death during his detention.

She told Anadolu that her husband's body is still held by Israel, demanding its release and handover to his family, along with the release of all detained Palestinian doctors.

Hamada called on the International Committee of the Red Cross, rights institutions, and international organizations to 'apply laws that ensure the protection of medical personnel during conflicts,' considering that Palestinian doctors are subjected to grave violations inside Israeli prisons.

This comes at a time when medical institutions in the Gaza Strip face a severe shortage of equipment, devices, medicines, and medical supplies due to the genocide war launched by Israel since October 8, 2023, which targeted Ministry of Health facilities and vehicles, according to rights and official reports.

The war, with American support, has resulted in the killing of more than 73,000 Palestinians and the injury of more than 173,000, in addition to widespread destruction affecting about 90 percent of civilian infrastructure, while the United Nations estimated the cost of reconstruction at about $70 billion.