Geneva, A United Nations expert today called for an independent international investigation into the death of a Palestinian orthopedic surgeon after his nearly four-month detention in an Israeli facility. Dr. Adnan Al Bursh, head of orthopedics at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, reportedly died under suspicious circumstances at Ofer prison, a detention center in the West Bank, on April 19, 2024.

According to Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, “I am horrified at the news about the death of Dr. Adnan Al Bursh while being detained by Israel,” stated Tlaleng Mofokeng, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health. Dr. Al Bursh was arrested on December 18, 2023, at Al Awda Hospital in North Gaza, where he was detained along with other medical staff by Israeli forces. At the time of his arrest, he was reportedly in good health and actively involved in patient care.

Mofokeng highlighted that Dr. Al Bursh had been detained while performing his medical duties and later showed signs of having been beaten. “His death raises serious concerns that he died following torture at the hands of Israeli authorities,” Mofokeng remarked, underscoring the urgent need for an investigation. The Ministry of Health in Gaza has reported significant casualties among healthcare workers in the region, with the World Health Organization noting that at least 214 have been detained while on duty since October 2023.

The UN expert reiterated calls for the immediate release of all healthcare workers detained in conflict zones and emphasized the necessity for urgent, independent investigations into their detention and deaths. “Healthcare workers should not be killed while practicing their profession,” she concluded.