Dear Member of Congress,

We are writing to urge you to sign onto the congressional letter led by Representatives Maxine Dexter and Raul Ruiz calling on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to urgently work to secure the release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a Palestinian pediatrician and former director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza who has been held in Israeli detention without formal charges or trial since December 27, 2024.

Dr. Abu Safiya’s condition has reportedly deteriorated to the point that his life may be in immediate danger.

According to his attorney and Physicians for Human Rights Israel, Dr. Abu Safiya has suffered severe physical abuse and medical neglect while in detention. During a July visit, his attorney reported that Dr. Abu Safiya arrived shackled by his hands and feet with fresh injuries to his head, eyes, ears, and neck. He was described as extremely weak, struggling to breathe and speak, unable to remain seated without assistance, and at times appearing close to losing consciousness.

Dr. Abu Safiya reportedly told his attorney:

“This is the last time you will see me… They brought me here to kill me. I don’t see myself surviving. This is the end.”

More recent reports indicate that the alleged abuse has continued. His attorney reported following an August 30 visit that Dr. Abu Safiya said he continued to be beaten, deliberately deprived of sleep, and threatened against speaking about the conditions of his detention.

This is a physician who remained at Kamal Adwan Hospital caring for patients as northern Gaza’s healthcare system collapsed around him. During the war, he helped establish a malnutrition unit that treated hundreds of children.

Members of Congress are now calling on Secretary Rubio to use the diplomatic power of the United States to advocate for an end to Dr. Abu Safiya’s indefinite detention and ensure that he receives urgently needed medical care.

We respectfully ask that you add your name to this congressional letter.

This is not a request that Congress adjudicate allegations or determine guilt or innocence. It is a request to defend basic principles of due process, humane treatment, access to medical care, and the protection of healthcare workers.

No person should be subjected to torture or denied necessary medical treatment while in detention. And no physician should disappear into indefinite detention without charge or trial while credible reports warn that his life may be at risk.

Given the urgency of Dr. Abu Safiya’s reported condition, we ask that your office please contact the offices of Representatives Maxine Dexter and Raul Ruiz and sign onto the letter to Secretary Rubio as soon as possible.

Dr. Abu Safiya may not have the luxury of time.

Thank you for your urgent attention to this matter.

Leaders Who Have Signed:

Maxine Dexter, Oregon
Raul Ruiz, California
Jamie Raskin, Maryland
André Carson, Indiana
Greg Casar, Texas
Ro Khanna, California
Stephen F. Lynch, Massachusetts
Maxine Waters, California
Nydia M. Velázquez, New York
Ilhan Omar, Minnesota
Madeleine Dean, Pennsylvania
Hank Johnson, Georgia
Betty McCollum, Minnesota
Sylvia R. Garcia, Texas
Mary Gay Scanlon, Pennsylvania
Eleanor Holmes Norton, District of Columbia
Jan Schakowsky, Illinois
Bonnie Watson Coleman, New Jersey
Becca Balint, Vermont
Analilia Mejia, New Jersey
Don Beyer, Virginia
Jim Himes, Connecticut
Jahana Hayes, Connecticut
Mark Pocan, Wisconsin
Chellie Pingree, Maine
James P. McGovern, Massachusetts
Lori Trahan, Massachusetts
Danny K. Davis, Illinois
Mark Takano, California
Jonathan L. Jackson, Illinois
Gwen Moore, Wisconsin
Pramila Jayapal, Washington
Lateefah Simon, California
Mike Quigley, Illinois
Adelita Grijalva, Arizona
Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon
Chris Deluzio, Pennsylvania
LaMonica McIver, New Jersey
Nancy Pelosi, California
Valerie Foushee, North Carolina
John Mannion, New York
Glenn Ivey, Maryland
Mike Thompson, California
Sydney Kamlager-Dove, California
Val Hoyle, Oregon
Sean Casten, Illinois
Robert Menendez, New Jersey
Morgan McGarvey, Kentucky
Emily Randall, Washington
Jasmine Crockett, Texas
Mark DeSaulnier, California
Sara Jacobs, California
Judy Chu, California
Alma Adams, North Carolina
Summer Lee, Pennsylvania
Al Green, Texas
Paul Tonko, New York
Stacey Plaskett, U.S. Virgin Islands
Ayanna Pressley, Massachusetts
Maxwell Frost, Florida
Kweisi Mfume, Maryland
Rosa DeLauro, Connecticut
Joe Courtney, Connecticut
John Larson, Connecticut
Jared Huffman, California
Lloyd Doggett, Texas
Jeff Merkley, Oregon
Bernie Sanders, Vermont
Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts