1. United States
2. Colo.
3. Letter

I feel compelled to draw your attention to the shocking siege of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza by Israeli forces. Medical staff, patients, and civilians sheltering are effectively being held hostage without food, water, or medical aid. Patients in critical condition, including babies, are cut off from essential care as power and medical supplies dwindle. Three children have died in the intensive care unit following the shutdown of hospital generators and the targeting of the oxygen station. This brazen assault on healthcare infrastructure violates international humanitarian law and the most basic principles of human rights.  In the last 22 days, over 800 civilians in northern Gaza have been killed, mainly due to relentless airstrikes targeting hospitals, schools, and homes.  Hours after Israeli air strikes targeted the hospital compound, troops raided Kamal Adwan Hospital, ordering staff and patients—including those in intensive care—to gather in the courtyard, where they were forced to strip. Throughout 2023 and 2024, we have witnessed Israel conduct further war crime abuses of detainees, including torture, rape and mass executions.  This is not an isolated event; two other northern Gaza hospitals, the Indonesian Hospital and Al-Awda Hospital, have also ceased operations due to relentless attacks and lack of resources. The siege of Gaza’s healthcare system, deliberate targeting of hospitals, and obstruction of medical care have compounded the deliberate humanitarian catastrophe.  Israel must be sanctioned for its crimes. A full arms embargo and a two-way trade embargo must be enforced until Israel ceases its illegal occupation, blockade and human rights violations in the region; this will also add pressure for a ceasefire. Recognising the State of Palestine and supporting the prosecution of war crimes is essential. I look forward to your commitment to upholding international law through these actions.