WASHINGTON DC, January 12, 2025 (WAFA) – Activists and medical teams continue to protest in various U.S. cities, calling for the immediate release of all Palestinian healthcare workers detained by Israeli occupation authorities, particularly those from hospitals destroyed by Israeli forces in northern Gaza.

Hundreds participated in a march through the streets of Washington, D.C., urging policymakers and President Joe Biden's administration to take urgent action.

The protesters demanded that the U.S. exert pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government to release Palestinian medical doctors and healthcare staff who were abducted while fulfilling their humanitarian duties, treating civilians, the wounded, and the sick.  

The healthcare system in Gaza has been severely impacted by the ongoing Israeli onslaught since October 2023. Medical infrastructure has been hardly hit, with hospitals and clinics frequently stormed and destroyed by Israeli forces, while shortages of medical supplies have worsened due to the blockade.

The detention of Palestinian healthcare workers has added to the growing crisis, as many were abducted while providing critical care during these dire conditions, the latest of whom was Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of northern Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital.

His abduction by Israeli troops has sparked outrage internationally, leading to calls for his immediate release and for stronger pressure on Israel to allow medical aid and personnel to operate freely in Gaza.

M.N