Doctors Against Genocide (DAG) gathered Wednesday in Washington D.C. to demand the release of the director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Gaza Strip.
DAG, a global coalition of health care workers, mobilized more than 50 medical professionals on Capitol Hill to advocate for the release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, who was detained by Israeli forces along with others during a Dec. 27 raid on the hospital.
The delegation visited members of the House of Representatives and Senate to advocate urgent congressional action on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
"We are here to demand immediate action to stop the genocide in Gaza and to protect the most sacred of spaces, hospitals, and the people who dedicate their lives to saving others," Dr. Nidal Jboor, co-founder of Doctors Against Genocide, told reporters at the Hart Building.
Jboor said hospitals have become targets of destruction.
"Every hospital in Gaza has been bombed or rendered inoperable. This is not collateral damage. It is a deliberate, systematic attack on humanity itself," he added.
Turning to the detention of Abu Safiya, Jboor said the director worked under siege, treating "unimaginable" injuries with no resources.
When the Kamal Adwan Hospital was attacked last month, Jboor said Abu Safiya, despite his injuries and the recent loss of his son, refused to abandon patients.
"For his bravery, he was forcibly abducted, tortured, and taken to a detention facility notorious for its cruelty," he said.
The doctors demanded a full arms embargo on Israel and an end to the billions of dollars funneled into the destruction of Gaza, he said.
"We call on the American people to join us. This is not just about Gaza. This is about who we are as a nation and as a people. Together, we can hold our leaders accountable. Together, we can demand a better, more just world," he added.
The Israeli army has continued a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed almost 46,000 victims, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
