US doctors urge Biden to impose arms embargo on Israel over Gaza crisis

UNITED STATES: On Tuesday (20 August), a group of about six doctors who recently returned from providing medical care in the devastated Gaza Strip called on the Biden administration to impose an immediate arms embargo on Israel.

They argued that without such an embargo, the U.S. remains complicit in the bloodshed that has ravaged Gaza.

Dr Tammy Abughanim, speaking on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, described the effects of Israel's over 10-month war as making life "literally impossible" for civilians in Gaza.

She emphasized the urgency of the situation, saying, "When I say we cannot afford one more day of this, and when they tell me we cannot afford one more day of this, it is quite literally true," referring to her recent conversations with Gazans.

Abughanim further explained that as physicians, their ability to perform their duties is severely compromised by the ongoing violence.

“We cannot do our jobs as Israeli snipers target children and civilians, as Israeli quadcopters descend on groups of civilians. We cannot do our jobs, because Israel has made our jobs impossible, and Israel has made our jobs impossible with the direct support of the United States," she said.

This sentiment was echoed by her colleagues, who recounted the severe horrors they witnessed, noting that their accounts could never fully capture the extent of the devastation.

Dr Feroze Sidhwa shared his experiences from Gaza, describing the "genocidal violence" he witnessed, including children suffering severe injuries from bullets.

He also spoke about the widespread destruction in Khan Younis and the dire conditions facing mothers and children.

"I saw mothers mix what little formula they could find with poisoned water to feed their newborns, because they were so malnourished themselves that they could not breastfeed,” he said.

"I saw children who cried out, not because of pain, but because they wished they had died along with their families instead of being burdened with the memory of their siblings and their parents charred and mutilated beyond recognition. And all, of course, with American weapons," he added.

Sidhwa argued that calling for an arms embargo on Israel is not a radical stance.

He read a letter from Mark Perlmutter, a Jewish-American doctor who had accompanied him but could not attend the press conference.

The letter condemned the cruelty faced by Gaza’s children and expressed disbelief at the scale of the violence, stating, "Never before have I seen a small child shot in the head and then in the chest, and I could never have imagined that I would see two such cases in less than two weeks. "

"Never before have I seen a dozen small children screaming in pain and terror, crowded into a trauma base smaller than my living room, their burning flesh filling the space so aggressively that my eyes started to burn. I could never have imagined what a hospital looks like when it becomes a displaced person's camp," he said.

"Worst of all, I could never have imagined that my government would be supplying the weapons and funding that keeps this horrifying slaughter going -- not for one week, not for one month, but for nearly an entire year now."

He concluded by urging, "For the good of the Palestinians, for the good of the United States, for the good of Israel, for the good of Judaism, and indeed, for the good of international law and all of humanity, please stop arming Israel."

The ongoing conflict in Gaza has resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths, including tens of thousands of women and children, and displaced 2 million others.

These individuals face severe shortages of necessities and medical supplies, exacerbating their vulnerability to famine and disease.

Doctors at the press conference also highlighted that Israel's restrictions are preventing them from obtaining essential medicines, including painkillers for the wounded.