rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/letter/save-dr-hussam-abu-safiya?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-letter-area-save-dr-hussam-abu-safiya' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> Melissa Kennedy https://actionnetwork.org/users/melissa-kennedy-2/profile https://actionnetwork.org//images/generic_facebook.jpg 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 https://actionnetwork.org/letters/save-dr-hussam-abu-safiya