Sue Kressley, M.D., president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken regarding the status of a Palestinian doctor detained by the Israel Defense Forces, in addition to the state of children’s health care in the Gaza Strip.
Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, was taken into IDF custody as a terrorist suspect during a targeted Israeli security forces operation against a Hamas command center in the hospital in northern Gaza on Dec. 28.
In the Jan. 8 letter, Kressley wrote that “Kamal Adwan was one of northern Gaza’s last partially functioning hospitals and was the main provider of pediatric care in the area.”
“The provision of pediatric medical care remains uncertain following Dr. Abu Safiya’s detention,” she added.
Kressley said the academy is requesting a response on the situation by Jan. 19, including:
- Steps the U.S. government has taken to discover where Abu Safiya is being held and on what grounds;
- All available information about the doctor’s safety, health status and access to medical care;
- A list of hospitals currently operational in Gaza and their ability to provide comprehensive pediatric emergency care; and
- Steps the U.S. government is taking to improve access to pediatric care in Gaza.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) welcomed Kressley’s letter and called for Blinken to intervene.
“Secretary Blinken could pick up the phone and demand that indicted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu release Dr. Abu Safiya and all those illegally detained and facing torture and abuse at the hands of Israeli forces,” CAIR stated.
