In June, we denounced the arrest of Dr Mazen, who was arrested at his home in Ramallah during the night on 21 June 2026. In Ramallah and beyond, he is known as « the doctor for the poor ». For decades, it has made healthcare accessible to many Palestinians for whom medical consultations or medicines remained too expensive, as well as to those who could no longer access basic healthcare due to the hundreds of checkpoints and roadblocks erected by the Israeli government.
According to numerous news sources, his detention was marked by violence. During the first few weeks, he was denied the medication he needed to treat several chronic conditions. He lost a great deal of weight and his requests for medical care were ignored. Photographs and videos taken after his release from Janot prison, upon his arrival in Hebron, show clear signs of blows and torture to his face and body. It should be noted that the person in question is 71 years old.
Above all, we wish Dr Mazen a complete recovery. We hope that he will now be able to take the time to rest with his loved ones, who have been without news of him for a long time.
Our concern for HWC remains
Dr Mazen’s release does not undo what has been inflicted on HWC. Our partner’s offices were raided in June, and its staff remain traumatised and subject to severe repression by the Israeli army. As an NGO that has been working with HWC for over 40 years, we have also found that it has become very difficult to send funds and organise a long-term programme with its team. This situation forms part of a wider colonial policy targeting Palestinian healthcare professionals and civil society organisations that help communities to withstand the occupation.
« Israel’s continued detention of nearly a hundred healthcare workers constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law », said Dr Rebecca Inglis of the organisation on Tuesday Health Workers Watch.
« We are deeply concerned about their fate, given the extensive evidence that Palestinian detainees are subjected to torture whilst in Israeli custody », she added.
Dr Mazen’s arrest was never an isolated incident, and his release does not bring an end to Israel’s colonial policy.
Our call for a boycott remains
We reiterate our call for boycott of the Israeli Medical Association, which has never condemned the genocidal practices or the repeated attacks on Palestinian healthcare workers. Remaining silent in the face of such violence is not neutral.
Viva Salud stands in solidarity with Dr Mazen Rantisi, the Health Work Committees and all Palestinians who continue to survive in increasingly difficult conditions. Healthcare professionals must be protected, not persecuted.
Providing care is not a crime. Solidarity is not a crime.
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