They Tried to Break Their Hands The Detention and Torture of Gaza’s Doctors

War does not only destroy buildings.

It destroys those who heal.

In February 2025, The Guardian, working with Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ), published one of the most disturbing investigations of the Gaza war: the detention and alleged torture of Palestinian doctors taken from hospitals and ambulances and transferred into Israeli prisons.

These were not combatants.

They were surgeons. Consultants. Hospital directors.

And according to their testimonies, their suffering was deliberate.

Arrested From Hospitals

According to The Guardian, more than 160 healthcare workers from Gaza were believed to be in Israeli detention, including over 20 doctors.

Many described being taken directly from hospitals during military operations.

One detained doctor told The Guardian:

“I was taken from the hospital while still wearing my medical uniform.”

Others described being blindfolded, handcuffed, and transported to detention facilities without formal charges.

“Work Hard on His Hands”

One senior consultant surgeon gave testimony that is particularly chilling.

He told The Guardian that during interrogation, a senior officer instructed guards to:

“Work hard on his hands.”

The surgeon said he understood the message clearly — they intended to damage his hands so he would be unable to operate again.

He described being handcuffed continuously and restrained in painful positions. He reported severe swelling and injury to his hands after prolonged shackling.

In his words:

“They wanted to make sure I would never return to surgery.”

For a surgeon, hands are not symbolic.

They are livelihood. They are identity. They are life-saving instruments.

“Almost Daily Torture”

Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Hospital, was detained for approximately seven months before being released.

After his release, he stated:

“We were subjected to severe torture.”

He described beatings, humiliation, and harsh conditions in detention.

In a separate interview reported internationally, he said detainees experienced:

“Almost daily torture.”

Other doctors told The Guardian they were:

Forced to kneel for hours
Beaten during interrogation
Held in overcrowded cells
Denied adequate food and medical care

One doctor described the experience as:

“Humiliation beyond imagination.”

Death in Custody

Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Adnan al-Bursh died while in Israeli detention in 2024.

According to reports, he had been detained during military operations in Gaza and later died in custody. Palestinian officials alleged mistreatment; Israeli authorities said the circumstances were under investigation.

His death added weight to growing international concern over the treatment of detained medical staff.

Israel’s Response

Israeli authorities have stated that detainees are held for security reasons and have denied systematic torture.

In response to allegations reported by The Guardian, Israeli officials said that detainees are treated according to Israeli and international law, and that abuse is prohibited.

However, many of the doctors interviewed were released without formal charges.

This contradiction remains central to the controversy.

Why Target Doctors?

International humanitarian law is explicit.

Medical personnel are protected. Hospitals are protected. Doctors must not be punished for performing medical duties.

When surgeons testify that interrogators targeted their hands — when hospital directors speak of “almost daily torture” — the issue transcends individual suffering.

It becomes structural.

To disable a surgeon is to disable a hospital. To remove doctors from a besieged territory is to deepen humanitarian collapse.

Documentation Is Memory

The testimonies recorded by The Guardian are not rumors.

They are documented statements from named doctors, hospital directors, and investigative journalists.

History has shown that attacks on healers are markers of moral breakdown.

When doctors become prisoners… When surgeons fear losing their hands… When medical directors speak of torture…

We are no longer discussing isolated misconduct.

We are documenting something far more serious.

Final Reflection

A society that tortures doctors does not strengthen its security.

It weakens its humanity.

And a world that reads these testimonies without demanding accountability is not neutral.

It is watching.

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