The late Dr. Iyad Al-Rantisi devoted his life to saving the wounded and the sick, making his stethoscope a symbol of his humanitarian mission amid the darkest days of Israel's genocidal war.

At Kamal Adwan Hospital, he continued to fulfill his duty despite relentless bombardment, siege, and severe shortages of medicines and medical supplies, driven by the conviction that protecting human life is a responsibility that must never be abandoned, no matter how grave the danger.

Yet the Israeli occupation shattered this humanitarian mission when it arrested him while he was still wearing his surgical attire. In an instant, he was taken from an operating room, where he had been fighting death to save others, to a prison cell where he himself became a victim of torture and ill-treatment.

While in detention, Dr. Al-Rantisi was subjected to various forms of torture. He endured repeated blows targeting his kidneys, causing internal bleeding and repeated loss of consciousness. Despite the rapid deterioration of his condition and his repeated pleas for medical treatment and care, he was left to face his fate without assistance until he died as a result of torture and deliberate medical neglect.

The death of a physician in detention following torture and the denial of medical care cannot be dismissed as an isolated incident. It constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law, the Geneva Conventions, and the Convention Against Torture. It demands an independent international investigation and accountability for all those responsible, whether through direct involvement or complicity in concealing the truth.

What value do international conventions retain if they fail to protect a doctor who dedicated his life to saving others? And what meaning remains in speaking of protecting medical personnel when doctors themselves become victims of torture and killing inside places of detention?