Rep. Kelly meets with Chicago-area doctors who treated patients in Gaza

CHICAGO - U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) met with Chicago-area doctors and a registered nurse who have returned from Gaza and listened to the horror they witnessed and treated.

"The doctors who I met courageously ran into danger toward cries for help in Gaza. Their powerful accounts painted a vivid picture of the immense suffering and urgent humanitarian needs of Palestinians," said Rep. Kelly. "I'm thankful for their lifesaving service and them recounting their harrowing experience - if only so it'll move more people to action. I'm committed to stopping weapons sales to Israel as Prime Minister Netanyahu continues his war of vengeance at the cost of innocent civilian lives. Palestinians, Israelis and the global community need clear action toward durable peace and safety."

"Always grateful to be able to meet with elected officials who demonstrate moral clarity and take principled approaches," said Dr. Thaer Ahmad, an emergency medicine physician at Advocate Health Care in Oak Lawn, who has made numerous relief trips to Gaza. "Congresswoman Kelly exemplifies the leadership we need in this country. So thankful we were able to dive into the horrifying situation unfolding in Palestine, and the role the US should play to stop the bombs and save some lives."

"I deeply appreciate Congresswoman Kelly's nuanced understanding of the crisis in Gaza, and it is clear that she has taken a principled and just stance," said Dr. Tammy Abughnaim, an emergency medicine specialist in the Chicago area, who was working in Nasser Hospital when an airstrike hit the hospital. "By voting to Stop the Bombs she has communicated to her constituents and the international community that she will continue the push for accountability at home and abroad. I am looking forward to working closely with the Congresswoman to further our mutual goals of promoting justice for Palestinians."

"I want to sincerely thank Congresswoman Kelly for her compassionate engagement; her commitment to human rights was evident throughout our discussion," said Hamza AbdulQader, a critical care registered nurse at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. "We stressed that the starvation and suffering in Palestine are the result of a deliberate policy to restrict food, water, and medicine, compounded by the arbitrary denial rate of 50% to minimize medical teams into Gaza. We left hopeful that she will continue to champion the need for the U.S. to hold its allies to international law, stop the bombs, acknowledge the rights of Palestinian's, and flood Gaza with the aid it so desperately needs to save lives and end the suffering."

According to the World Health Organization, only 19 of Gaza's 36 hospitals remain operational as Palestinians suffer mass displacement, famine and shortage of medical supplies. Rep. Kelly supports the Block the Bombs Act introduced by Rep. Delia Ramirez (IL-03), which prohibits the sale of certain weapons to Israel.