More than 150 American health care workers who’ve been volunteering their skills in Gaza over the past two years have signed a letter to President Donald Trump asking him to hear their harrowing testimony and end the United States’ military, economic and diplomatic support for Israel’s intensifying offensive in the Palestinian enclave.
The signatories are made up of 152 physicians, surgeons, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and midwives. Some of the health workers have worked in conflict zones across the world, but maintain that Gaza is the worst they’ve seen. All have condemned Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that led to Israel’s current campaign of destruction in Gaza.
“We are among the very few neutral American observers that Israel has permitted to enter Gaza for nearly two years,” the letter states. “Given our broad expertise and direct experience working throughout Gaza, we are uniquely qualified to comment on several matters of importance to our government regarding American support for Israel’s ongoing attack on the Gaza Strip.”
The workers say that they have collectively spent more than 460 weeks volunteering in 22 of Gaza’s built and field hospitals. The need for international medical workers steadily rose as Israel continued to attack hospitals, target Palestinian doctors, block lifesaving aid and medical resources, and bomb areas so frequently that hospital emergency rooms would face mass casualty events almost daily. Today, there are no fully functioning hospitals left in Gaza.
“President Trump, we wish you could see the nightmares that plague so many of us since returning from Gaza: scenes of malnourished children maimed and mutilated by our weapons, and their inconsolable mothers begging us to save them,” the letter states. “Today, we beg you to hear the cries of Gaza’s children that our consciences will not let us forget. We cannot fathom why our government continues arming Israel while its armed forces kill children en masse.”
The health care workers raised their concerns over the widespread starvation that disproportionately impacts more vulnerable Palestinians, warning that the lack of food, clean water and sanitation, combined with little to no medication and supplies, has made treating infected wounds and diseases nearly impossible. Israel has claimed it allows sufficient aid into the enclave, but medical volunteers and the United Nations both say it is nowhere near enough.
“What is happening in Gaza is not a war. In war, children who are still learning to walk are not regularly shot in the head.”
– Letter to President Donald Trump signed by 152 American health workers who volunteered in Gaza
“What is happening in Gaza is not a war. In war, children who are still learning to walk are not regularly shot in the head. In war, homeless, starving civilians are not enticed into death traps using rice and lentils as bait,” the letter said. “In war, two dozen doctors, nurses, paramedics, rescue workers and firefighters are not killed every week for nearly two years straight.”
This is the third such letter sent to the president by American health care workers who volunteered in Gaza. The first two were sent when President Joe Biden was in office and made similar demands to end the offensive that credible human rights groups and scholars have declared a genocide. Israel has denied the accusation.
The White House did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment on whether Trump would agree to meet with some of the health care workers who signed on to the letter.
The letter comes on the heels of Trump presenting a 20-point plan that hopes to bring about a permanent ceasefire, with Hamas stepping down and returning its remaining hostages while Israel withdraws back to a security line and stops bombing Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly supported the plan, though his military continues to flatten the enclave. Hamas said it agrees to parts of the agreement and is open to negotiating other points.
“Mr. President, any solution to this problem must begin with an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The United States does not need to ask Israel to agree to this,” the health care workers said, proposing the U.S. halt arms shipments to Israel.
“We stress what many others have repeatedly told you, and what we told the previous administration,” they continued. “American law is perfectly clear on this matter, continuing to arm Israel is illegal.”