GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Sixty-two members of the US House of Representatives and Senate have called on the Trump administration to pressure Israel to lift restrictions on Palestinian patients seeking medical treatment and to reopen the medical corridor that previously allowed Gaza patients access to hospitals in Occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank.
In a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the lawmakers warned that thousands of patients in Gaza are facing life-threatening conditions amid the collapse of the healthcare system due to the ongoing war.
The signatories noted that more than 18,500 Palestinians require urgent specialized medical care unavailable in Gaza, including around 11,000 cancer patients. They added that 94% of Gaza’s hospitals have been destroyed or severely damaged, leaving most diagnostic and treatment services, including cancer care, largely unavailable.
The lawmakers said that while Israel permits a limited number of medical evacuations to other countries, it continues to block patients from reaching hospitals in Occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank despite their proximity and ability to provide treatment. They argued that, for many Gazans, a cancer diagnosis has effectively become a “death sentence.”
According to the letter, more than 1,200 patients have died while awaiting approval for medical evacuation. The lawmakers urged the US administration to work with Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye to facilitate patient transfers and ensure access to necessary healthcare.
They also called for the permanent reopening of the medical corridor, guarantees that patients and their companions can return to Gaza after treatment, and support for rebuilding damaged hospitals and healthcare infrastructure.
The lawmakers stressed the need to protect medical facilities and healthcare workers under international humanitarian law and warned of the severe humanitarian consequences of continued restrictions on access to medical care.
Among those who signed the letter were prominent members of Congress, including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen, Ed Markey, as well as Representatives Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal, Ilhan Omar, Greg Casar, Delia Ramirez, Jan Schakowsky, and Sean Casten.
