It’s hard to find words for this moment. The genocide in Gaza unfolding before our eyes has claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian lives, and the full scope of the devastation remains unknown. International journalists have been largely barred from entering Gaza due to Israel’s restrictions, leaving the world in darkness about what’s happening on the ground.
Yet even in this horror, there are glimmers of courage and humanity. Recently, we helped organize and support Healthcare Workers for Humanity (HWFH) advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill. This delegation of American doctors and nurses served in Gaza and Lebanon, and since returning, they’ve been determined to share their firsthand accounts and equip elected officials to respond to the humanitarian catastrophe.
Last week, FCNL led a lobby training and helped HWFH schedule more than 50 meetings to ensure their voices—and the voices of colleagues still on the ground—were heard.
It’s hard to celebrate progress amid so much suffering, but it’s essential to acknowledge what these healthcare workers accomplished. They are among the few Americans who have entered Gaza since October 7. Their testimonies were harrowing yet rooted in compassion and moral clarity.
Many have worked in conflict zones from Afghanistan to Ukraine to Sudan—yet they said they’d never seen anything like Gaza. One doctor noted that in Ukraine, supplies were accessible even on the front lines, whereas in Gaza, even gauze and scalpels were almost impossible to find.
They described treating patients on crowded hospital floors, the targeting of children and medical convoys, and an entire healthcare system brought to its knees—colleagues killed or kidnapped, pregnant women delivering without medication, and children treated without anesthesia as communities faced starvation.
“What does aid matter if the bombs don’t stop?”
We watched members of Congress and their staff struggle to repeat the same tired talking points even as doctors detailed Gaza’s realities. One pediatric cleft and craniofacial surgeon, Dr. Rania Habib, asked a staffer, “What does aid matter if the bombs don’t stop?” The staffer faltered, visibly struggling with his own cognitive dissonance and his boss’s position. Another doctor, Dr. Talal Khan, ended each meeting by handing out a piece of gauze—a fabric that originated in Gaza—and urging them to help bring healing today.
During our meetings, we urged lawmakers to cosponsor Rep. Delia Ramirez’s (IL-3) Block the Bombs Act, to prohibit offensive weapons transfers to Israel, and press for opening humanitarian corridors into Gaza, including the East Jerusalem Hospital Network (EJHN). Over 15,000 patients remain on the WHO evacuation list, and neighboring countries are at capacity. The EJHN has beds and infrastructure funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), yet the corridor remains closed.
On October 1, HWFH led an open letter to President Trump detailing what they witnessed: mass killings, violence against civilians, and the destruction of life-sustaining infrastructure. Their demand is simple: the United States must impose an arms embargo on Israel and all Palestinian armed groups until attacks cease and a comprehensive peace agreement is reached.
“We have to speak up because they’ve been silenced, and some of those responsible for that silence sit in the halls of Congress.”
We ended our advocacy day at a rally in front of the White House. Palestinian-American ER physician Thaer Ahmad spoke passionately: “As healthcare workers, we witnessed firsthand the tireless efforts of our Palestinian colleagues caring for the endless stream of patients, all while being targeted and starved themselves. We have to speak up because they’ve been silenced, and some of those responsible for that silence sit in the halls of Congress.” His words were met with loud applause.
This work is not easy. The stories are heavy. But the courage of these healthcare workers—their willingness to serve in the most difficult circumstances and then bear witness—reminds us that advocacy matters. Partnering with these heroes to lobby Capitol Hill was a profound honor and gives us strength to keep working for peace. Even in the darkest times, truth and moral clarity can light the way forward.
