Adnan al-Bursh

Adnan Al-Bursh (1974 – c. 19 April 2024) was a Palestinian orthopedic surgeon and the head of orthopedics at the Gaza Strip's largest medical facility, Al-Shifa Hospital.^[1][2] He died after having been reportedly tortured in Israeli prison after four months of detention during the Israel-Hamas war.^[3][4]

Adnan Al-Bursh was born in 1974 in Jabalia, the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip, and received his early education there before traveling to Romania to study medicine.^[5] Al-Bursh was married and had five children. He also served as an adviser to the Palestine national football team.^[2]

In November 2023, during the Israeli invasion of Gaza, Al-Bursh was stranded in the besieged Al-Shifa Hospital. Israeli forces later requested hospital staff move south, but Al-Bursh refused to comply and instead moved north to assist at the Indonesia Hospital, where was arrested by the Israeli military the following month. Palestinian authorities and advocacy groups have attributed his death to torture and mistreatment in custody, with the OHCHR confirming his body showed signs of torture.^[6] His death has been highlighted as part of the "systematic targeting process against physicians and the health care system in Gaza" by Israel.^[4][1][3]

Early life and career

Adnan Al-Bursh was born in 1974 in Jabalia, the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip, and received his early education there before traveling to Romania to study medicine.^[5][7] In his career, he was a prominent Palestinian orthopedic surgeon who served as the head of orthopedics at Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza's largest medical facility.^[1][5][7][8] Al-Bursh was married and had five children. He served as an adviser to the Palestine national football team.^[2]

In November 2023, during the Israeli invasion of Gaza, Al-Bursh was stranded in the besieged Al-Shifa Hospital for 10 days with his nephew. Israeli forces later asked them to move south, but Al-Bursh refused to comply and instead moved north to assist at the Indonesia Hospital. Al-Bursh's wife and six children also refused to move south and instead took shelter in one of the UNRWA schools in the northern Gaza Strip.^[9]

Al-Bursh was later injured while at the Indonesian Hospital while he was in the operating room when Israeli forces also attacked that facility. Following a truce, he relocated again to Al-Awda Hospital, also in northern Gaza.^[9]

Arrest and death

The 50-year-old doctor was arrested by Israeli forces in December 2023 alongside 10 other workers while temporarily working at Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza.^[2][1][8][3] According to Israeli security sources, Al-Bursh was detained for national-security reasons; IDF sources reported that he was suspected of terrorism.^[10][11]

Four months later, on 19 April 2024, the Israeli prison service confirmed Al-Bursh's death in custody at Ofer Prison, without disclosing the cause of his death.^[4][2][8] Palestinian authorities and advocacy groups have attributed his death to torture or mistreatment in custody.^[3] Released prisoners told Al-Bursh's family that he was being subjected to torture,^[9] and a UN statement on his death confirmed his dead body showed signs of torture.^[6] His body was kept in Israeli custody, and the fate of the other detained medical workers remains uncertain.^[3]

In May 2024, the family of Al-Bursh instructed a lawyer in The Hague to investigate his death and help facilitate the return of his body.^[9] On May 15, Al-Bursh's wife and Physicians for Human Rights–Israel submitted a request for an investigation and autopsy to the Jerusalem Magistrate Court.^[12] Days later, Israel agreed to perform an autopsy, with a doctor representing the family present.^[13]

Reactions

The Prisoners' Affairs Authority and the Palestinian Prisoners Club labelled Al-Bursh's death an "assassination" and a part of the "systematic targeting process against physicians and the health care system in Gaza."^[4][1][3][9] The Palestinian Ministry of Health called for an immediate investigation.^[9]

Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, expressed her extreme alarm at the news of Al-Bursh's death and called for better protections.^[9] Tlaleng Mofokeng, United Nations' Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, described herself as "horrified" by his death, lamenting that Al-Bursh "died for trying to protect the rights to life and health of his patients", and called for an international investigation on the matter.^[6]

His death was highlighted as a further example of the ongoing challenges and risks faced by healthcare workers in Gaza, with hundreds killed, injured or arrested.^[1][3] The Ministry of Health stated that 492 Palestinian doctors had been killed by Israel in the conflict.^[9] The international community and human rights organizations have repeatedly called for an end to attacks on medical personnel and the protection of Palestinians under Israeli occupation.^[3]

Al-Bursh's nephew, Mohammad Al-Bursh, described him as a "cheerful" and "loved" figure who dedicated his life to his profession, often working nonstop during the height of the conflict in Gaza.^[2] Colleagues praised him as a "rare individual" and the "safety valve" for orthopedic departments across Gaza's hospitals, often working tirelessly even during the height of conflicts in the region.^[1][5]

References