Free Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya

At the end of January Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2026.  He was nominated by Assistant Professor Carol Gray.  She began her nomination:

 

"It is my honor to nominate Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya for the Nobel Peace Prize 2026. He was born in Gaza in the Jabalia refugee camp in 1973. Abu Safiya moved to Kazakhstan for higher education where he obtained citizenship. He studied medicine at Ahmet Yassawi University in the Kazakhstan city of Turkistan. After graduating, Abu Safiya and his wife returned to Gaza in 1996, living in Jabalia. Abu Safiya went on to specialize in pediatrics and neonatology, obtaining a master's degree and passing the Palestinian Board exams. He began working as a doctor for the Gaza Health Ministry, going on to become the head of the pediatric department at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, a major hospital serving northern Gaza. In February 2024, Abu Safiya became the director of the hospital replacing Ahmed al-Kahlout who had been seized by Israeli armed forces. In addition to his work at Kamal Adwan Hospital, Abu Safiya also acted as MedGlobal's lead physician for Gaza. Like all Gaza medical facilities, Kamal Adwan performed incredible work despite severe shortage of essential supplies."

 

Click here to see her full post to the Noble Prize Committee

 

Our campaign will mark the nomination with an event at the Palestine Museum US on Sunday, March 1 at 3 p.m.  Details coming.

Today Feb. 13, 2026 we learned that Hatem Rayyan, a Palestinian paramedic who was abducted from Kamal Adwan Hospital on December 27, 2024, died in an Israeli prison.  He was taken the same day as Dr. Abu Safiya.  Time is of the essence.

Dr. Abu Safiya was abducted by Israel 12/27/24

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya was taken by the Israeli army when it committed the crime of destroying Kamal Adwan Hospital in norther Gaza.  This pediatrician was director of the hospital.  Despite being held for a year Israel has not charged him with anything or shown any evidence that he was involved in "terrorism" or any other such crime.  Amnesty International calls for Abu Safiya’s release.

 

This piece was written about him in many Connecticut newspapers in early December '25.   Opinion: A Connecticut call for Israel to release Palestinian doctor.  Democracy Now had a section of its program about him on October 14, 2025. 

His attorney has said that Abu Safiya was tortured in Israeli prisons and has lost 1/3 of his body weight.

The Middle East Crisis Committee gave him its Courage Award in absentia on Nov. 22, 2025. The ceremony was featured on its TSVN program   https://youtu.be/4bueCwIka2Y?si=uTJbIgVwBQR486Ty