Gaza: MSF surgeon must be released after two years of arbitrary detention

Geneva, 2 November 2026 – Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Dr Mohammed Obeid. He has been detained by Israel without charge since 26 October 2024.

Dr Obeid, an orthopaedic surgeon, was arrested while providing life-saving medical care at Kamal Adwan Hospital in the north of the Gaza Strip. Since then, he has been held in harsh conditions without any direct contact with his family.

His only contact with the outside world is through visits from his lawyer, which are infrequent.

We are extremely concerned about his health and well-being. We stand in full solidarity with him and his family, and we demand that his rights, dignity, and freedom be restored without further delay.

Until his arrest by Israeli forces on 26 October 2024, Dr Obeid was one of the few surgeons remaining in northern Gaza.

Dr Obeid is a respected and brilliant surgeon who has saved countless lives in difficult circumstances, often with limited supplies, in multiple hospitals across Gaza.

He is not alone. Israel continues to arbitrarily detain dozens of healthcare workers from Gaza. Under international humanitarian law (IHL), medical personnel are protected and should not be punished for carrying out their medical duties.

Gaza needs its doctors. Medical staff such as surgeons and paediatricians are urgently needed today in Gaza. Many children require urgent orthopaedic care, and around 6,000 amputees need urgent long-term rehabilitation. Dr Obeid is one of the very few orthopaedic surgeons in Gaza.

We continue to call for his immediate release and for his reunification with his family. We also call for the release of all medical personnel held in arbitrary detention.

Release Dr Obeid. Release all medical staff.