Activists in Glasgow call for release of Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu Safiya

ACTIVISTS in Glasgow gathered on Friday night for a two‑hour “Release Doctor Hussam” event, calling on the UK Government to intervene over the prolonged detention of Palestinian paediatrician Dr Hussam Abu Safiya. Organised by Health Workers for Palestine, the event formed part of a co‑ordinated UK‑wide action, with similar events planned in cities across the country under the same banner. The focus was to highlight the case of Dr Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, and to demand his release from Israeli detention. READ MORE: Spanish PM slams 'attack on territorial integrity' – but were Israel and US to blame? Dr Abu Safiya, 53, was arrested at the end of 2024 as the Israeli military forced patients and medical staff to leave Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza, alleging the facility was a "Hamas terrorist stronghold". Speaking to the crowd, Mariam Ahmed, a health worker from Edinburgh, said: "We are here today for Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, a paediatric physician the director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza, one of Gaza's last hospitals. He refused to leave and abandon his patients even after Israel killed his own son in a drone strike "On the 27th of December, 2024, he was detained without charge. The rest of the world watched as he walked towards the Israeli tank in his lab coat. We watched as he held his head high never surrendering as he became larger than the tank with more dignity and strength in his pinkie than the entire IOF. "He has been detained for over 555 days where he has been tortured beaten starved denied medical treatment. The last words we have heard from him were a call for action: 'Take every possible measure to get me out of this place'." The Glasgow event also included readings and chants, with demands aimed at the UK Government and international bodies. READ MORE: Is it time to fire Douglas Alexander and scrap the role of Scottish Secretary? The IDF statement at the time repeated that he was suspected of being a "terrorist" and for "holding a rank" in Hamas – but offered no evidence, with none since forthcoming as the paediatrician has remained detained for 18 months without charge or trial. Campaigners have continually urged his release while his lawyer has recently said that Dr Abu Safiya is almost unrecognisable because of severe injuries inflicted in Israeli detention and that he faces a “tangible danger to his life”. Physicians for Human Rights Israel and Abu Safiya's lawyer, Nasser Odeh, said Dr Abu Safiya appeared extremely weak and struggled to sit upright during a visit on July 2. Odeh added: "I had difficulty recognising his features. Bruises covered his face, around his eyes, on his neck, and on his ears. Signs of beatings and torture were clearly visible on his face. He was exhausted and unable to breathe, in a difficult physical, psychological, and mental state. "He said clearly, 'I'm living in hell. The mind can't imagine what I go through every day. I think someone has decided to kill me'."