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Joint statement from US lawmakers

In a joint statement on Hussam Abu Safia, six progressive members of the U.S. Congress condemned Israel’s treatment of Palestinian health workers and called for the release of the Gaza doctor. The statement, published on Tuesday, said Abu Safia has been held under Israeli custody since 2024 without any charges being filed against him.

According to the statement, the signatories included Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Summer Lee, Pramila Jayapal and Delia Ramirez. The lawmakers said the detention of Palestinian medical workers and the attacks on Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure are part of a wider policy.

What are the allegations against Dr. Abu Safia?

According to his lawyers, Abu Safia was subjected to mistreatment during detention, including torture, sleep deprivation and beatings. Israeli soldiers detained the doctor in December 2024 along with other medical staff working at Kamal Adwan Hospital after they refused to evacuate.

  • No formal charges have been announced against Abu Safia so far.
  • According to the source text, the doctor has also not been put on trial.

Attacks on the healthcare system draw criticism

In their statement, the U.S. lawmakers said Gaza’s healthcare system has been systematically devastated over the past three years. They argued that at least 1,700 Palestinian health workers have been killed, many hospitals have been destroyed and hundreds of medical staff have been arbitrarily detained.

Rights groups, academics and some United Nations officials also link the attacks on Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure to the deprivation of basic services such as food, water and treatment for Palestinians. The statement described this approach as a policy tied to allegations of occupation, apartheid and genocide.

Israel’s defense and a report that surfaced

Israeli officials say hospitals and medical facilities have been targeted because they were allegedly used by armed Palestinian groups for operations. However, the source text noted that these claims have often not been confirmed in independent reviews.

As an example, it was noted that Israel later changed its initial account of the 15 emergency aid workers killed in southern Gaza in March 2025. A report by Forensic Architecture and Earshot alleged that more than 900 bullets were fired at a clearly marked ambulance convoy and that some medics were killed in what appeared to be executions.

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