South African activists unite in global protests demanding immediate release of Gaza paediatrician Abu-Safiyah

Source: Supplied. Healthcare Workers 4 Palestine - South Africa.

Running in tandem to these protests, a coalition of activists gathered on the same day outside the Red Cross Children's War Memorial Hospital in Cape Town.

The activists including members of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Jewish Voices for a Free Palestine, Gift of the Givers and health workers, called for an end to the bombing of hospitals, murder of healthcare workers and attacks on ambulances in Gaza, as well as the immediate release of Abu-Safiyah amid serious concerns for his safety and wellbeing.

However, it remains to be seen whether Discovery can utilise its connections with Israeli health entities to advocate for the protection of Gaza's hospitals and pursue efforts for the release of Abu-Safiya.

Abu-Safiya was abducted by the Israeli military on Friday, 27 December 2024 during a raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, where he serves as the director.

Israeli forces detained the 51-year-old paediatrician along with over 240 Palestinians, including medical staff and patients last month. The Israeli military accused him of being a Hamas operative and alleged that the hospital was used as a command centre, claims that have been met with skepticism and condemnation from international organisations.

Summit sparks controversy

This isn't the first time the prominent South African financial services group, Discovery Limited, has faced backlash. More recently, it came under fire for its decision to host the Future of Health Summit and Leadership Symposium in Cape Town in November last year, despite objections.

At the time, members of Healthcare Workers 4 Palestine (HCW4P) South Africa protested outside the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town against Discovery Limited's hosting of the symposium. This decision raised serious concerns about its choice of partners in shaping the future of healthcare in South Africa.

Future of Health is a community which critics say prominently features the Israeli Ministry of Health and Israel's Sheba Medical Centre among its member organisations.

"Such associations are alarming in light of recent International Court of Justice rulings. Discovery's decision to proceed with the summit helped normalise Israeli apartheid and whitewash the genocide-in-progress, and raises serious questions about who it intends to plan the future of health in South Africa with," said Saadiq Moolla, chairperson of Healthcare Workers 4 Palestine - South Africa.

In response, Discovery clarified that the Israeli delegates were from the Sheba Medical Centre, not the Israeli Ministry of Health, emphasising that there was no direct involvement of the Israeli government in the summit. It stated that its participation aimed at advancing healthcare in South Africa through open dialogue and collaboration.

Despite the objections, Discovery proceeded with the summit in November last year, underscoring the importance of learning from leading global healthcare organisations to improve health systems in South Africa. The event included various sessions and discussions focused on shaping the future of health.

Unyielding commitment

Following Abu-Safiya's detention, reports suggest that he is being held at the Sde Teiman military base in Israel's Negev desert.

Meanwhile, various human rights organisations have highlighted the critical role Abu-Safiya plays in Gaza's healthcare system.

According to sources, throughout the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Abu-Safiya had been a steadfast presence at Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of the last partially functioning medical facilities in northern Gaza.

Despite repeated Israeli military orders to evacuate, he remained to provide critical medical care to patients amid severe shortages and bombardments.

In late October 2024, during an Israeli raid on the hospital, his son, Ibrahim, was killed in a drone strike at the hospital's gate. A month later, Abu-Safiya sustained injuries from shrapnel.

He continued his work.