The statement, released on Tuesday, was signed by Representatives Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Jesus 'Chuy' Garcia, Summer Lee, Pramila Jayapal and Delia Ramirez.
"Over the last three years, the Israeli government has systematically destroyed the health system in Palestine, murdering at least 1,700 Palestinian doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other healthcare workers and destroying dozens of hospitals," the statement reads. "It has arrested and arbitrarily detained hundreds of Palestinian healthcare workers, including at least 16 physicians who continue to be held in inhumane conditions."
Among those detained is Abu Safia, who lawyers say has been subjected to abuses such as torture, sleep deprivation and beatings during his detention. Israeli soldiers arrested Abu Safia in December 2024 after he and other medical workers reportedly refused to evacuate from Kamal Adwan Hospital, where they worked. No charges have been filed against him and he has not had a trial.
The statement argues that these actions are part of an "intentional policy designed to further occupation, apartheid, and genocide against the Palestinian people." This assessment is shared by a growing number of rights organisations, scholars and United Nations officials, who have denounced Israeli actions in the Palestinian territory.