45 American medical professionals have signed an open letter addressed to President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and first lady Dr. Jill Biden urging the administration to act to stop the conflict in Gaza and save lives.
in the letter — which has gone viral online with over 1 million views on X — the physicians and nurses said "None of us support the horrors committed on October 7 by Palestinian armed groups and individuals in Israel."
In the letter, the co-signers say "The Constitution of the World Health Organization states: 'The health of all peoples is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security and is dependent on the fullest cooperation of individuals and States.' It is in this spirit that we write to you."
The medical professionals who signed the open letter make up a group with extensive backgrounds, with some even working to help treat victims in Ukraine during Russia's invasion.
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38-year-old Dr. Ahmad Yousaf spoke to Scripps News from his home in Little Rock, Arkansas after returning from Gaza, and became emotional speaking of the horrors he witnessed amid the challenge of treating patients with limited anesthesia and antibiotics.
Dr. Yousaf, who volunteered with the Chicago-based non-profit MedGlobal said the images we see online and on TV, while horrible, don't fully represent the extend of the bloody war as is witnessed on the ground.
He said what needs to happen is to stop the "bombing of large civilian centers" and to help healthcare workers get "free access to the places where the patients are suffering the most."
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He said leaders need to allow "those civilians access to medical supplies, clean water and food" which he says has been restricted.
"The people I met there were full of humanity," Dr. Yousaf said. "They deserve human dignity, they deserve safety, they deserve not feeling like at any moment they are targets."