Global Emergency Call to Action: One Hour for Our Colleagues: A Rolling Global Healthcare Action

Doctors Against Genocide (DAG) calls on healthcare to join a rolling global One Hour of Action on Wednesday from 12:00–1:00 PM local time in every country.

DEARBORN HEIGHTS, MI, UNITED STATES, July 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Doctors Against Genocide (DAG), in coordination with and in solidarity with the Palestinian Physicians Syndicate in Gaza and the West Bank, together with regional and international partner organizations, calls on physicians, nurses, paramedics, medical students, healthcare workers, hospitals, professional societies, universities, labor unions, humanitarian organizations, elected officials, and people of conscience everywhere to join a rolling global One Hour of Action on Wednesday, July 15, from 12:00–1:00 PM local time in every country.

WHEN: Wednesday, July 15, 2026 | 12:00–1:00 PM Local Time Worldwide
WHERE: Communities are encouraged to organize whatever peaceful action is most appropriate in their local setting: white coat gatherings, hospital assemblies, vigils, educational events, advocacy visits, public statements, moments of silence, or other acts of solidarity — to stand with our colleagues in Gaza and demand their immediate protection and freedom.

MEDIA CONTACT: Gur Tsabar, movementmediahub@gmail.com, 347.248.1390 cell/Signal/WhatsApp

INTERNATIONAL - Emergency Statement: The Life of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya Is in Imminent Danger
Doctors Against Genocide issued an emergency appeal stating: "We believe the life of our colleague, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, is in imminent danger." Read and endorse the full statement at doctorsagainstgenocide.org/statements/release-dr-abu-safiya.

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya is a Palestinian pediatrician and former Director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza. On December 27, 2024, he was detained by Israeli authorities after refusing to abandon the children and patients under his care during the assault on his hospital. More than eighteen months later, he remains detained without formal criminal charges.

According to his attorney's recent visit and public reporting by Physicians for Human Rights Israel and international news organizations, Dr. Abu Safiya has reportedly been beaten by metal rods and a metal hammer and he suffered severe physical deterioration. He was witnessed by his lawyers toto be profoundly weakened, to struggle to breathe and speak, and he has expressed fear that he may not survive. On June 16, 2026, Israel's Supreme Court rejected his appeal, upholding his detention without charge until at least October 2026. He has been held in solitary confinement since June 3 — a period exceeding the 15 consecutive days permitted under the Nelson Mandela Rules, violating the prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment. United Nations Human Rights experts have issued urgent demands for his immediate release and transfer to a civilian hospital for life-saving medical care.

Dr. Abu Safiya is not alone. More than 85 Palestinian healthcare workers remain detained, alongside more than 9,500 Palestinian detainees, many reportedly held without criminal charges or meaningful due process. United Nations experts, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Physicians for Human Rights Israel, B'Tselem, and other organizations have documented or raised serious concerns regarding allegations of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, denial of medical care, prolonged arbitrary detention, and reports of sexual violence and other abuses against Palestinian detainees. These reports call for urgent independent investigation, accountability where violations are established, and immediate protection of those still in custody.

Our Legal + Ethical Obligations
The prohibition of torture is absolute. It is prohibited under international law, including the UN Convention Against Torture, and the protections afforded to healthcare personnel and detainees under the Geneva Conventions must be respected. The American Medical Association, American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Public Health Association, and the World Medical Association have all affirmed that healthcare professionals must never participate in, facilitate, or remain indifferent to torture, and must advocate for its prevention and for the protection of victims.

History has shown the consequences of institutional silence. Following the Hoffman Report, the American Psychological Association acknowledged failures in confronting torture and committed itself to an unequivocal anti-torture stance. Those lessons must not be forgotten.

Our Demands
We therefore call for:

- The immediate release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and all detained Palestinian healthcare workers.
- Immediate access for the International Committee of the Red Cross and independent international monitors to all detainees.
- Immediate independent medical evaluation, treatment, and legal representation for every detainee.
- Prompt, impartial investigations into credible allegations of torture, sexual violence, denial of medical care, and other serious abuses.
- Urgent action by governments, medical associations, healthcare institutions, United Nations agencies, humanitarian organizations, and all relevant international bodies to protect detainees and uphold international law.

Join Us on July 15
As healthcare professionals, we do not abandon our patients. We do not abandon our colleagues. When physicians are imprisoned, when healthcare workers are reportedly abused, and when medical neutrality is threatened, silence is incompatible with the ethical responsibilities of our profession. On July 15, we invite healthcare workers and people of conscience everywhere to join at 12:00 PM local time in a coordinated global hour of action. Whatever form your action takes, let it affirm a simple principle: every healthcare worker deserves protection, dignity, due process, and the chance to return home safely.

Nidal Jboor
Doctors Against Genocide
+1 313-354-1400
leadership@doctorsagainstgenocide.org
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