Healthcare workers press for release of detained Gaza doctors on Capitol Hill

By AI, Created 4:55 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – Doctors Against Genocide is leading an advocacy day in Washington on May 14 to demand freedom for the Gaza 18, including physicians held in Israeli detention without charge or adequate medical care. The campaign follows new legal visits that describe malnutrition, untreated disease and fast-moving hearings as medical groups push U.S. institutions to act.

Why it matters: - The campaign centers on Palestinian physicians detained or killed during the Gaza war and on the broader treatment of healthcare workers in Israeli detention. - Doctors Against Genocide says the doctors are being held without charge, legal representation or adequate medical care. - The group is also warning that worsening sanitation and infectious disease risks in Gaza could deepen the public health crisis.

What happened: - Doctors Against Genocide is leading an advocacy day on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on May 14. - The group is demanding the release of the “Gaza 18,” which it describes as Palestinian physicians killed or held in Israeli detention. - The advocacy day follows a May 11 legal visit by Physicians for Human Rights Israel to four doctors held at Ketziot Prison. - CODEPINK is joining the delegation.

The details: - Conditions reported at Ketziot Prison include severe malnutrition, untreated scabies, overcrowding and detention hearings lasting only minutes. - One physician has lost about 35 kilograms. - Another doctor has been held for 900 days without charge. - On April 30, Physicians for Human Rights Israel petitioned the Israeli High Court seeking release of 14 detained Gaza doctors. - On May 12, the court ordered the state to respond by May 21. - Attendees will gather at 9:00 AM at Union Station before delivering a petition to American Medical Association headquarters. - A press conference is scheduled for 10:30 AM at Upper Senate Park. - Congressional and Senate office visits are planned for the afternoon. - The group cites reports of rodent infestation, collapsed sanitation infrastructure and infectious disease threats including plague and hantavirus. - The event is being organized by Doctors Against Genocide, with Dr. Nidal Jboor listed in the release. - More information is available in the group’s LinkedIn page, Instagram account, Facebook page, YouTube channel and X account.

Between the lines: - The action is aimed not just at Israeli authorities but also at U.S. medical institutions, lawmakers and international bodies. - The release language frames the detained physicians as medical professionals working under extreme conditions, not as security threats. - The timing suggests organizers want to keep pressure on decision-makers while the Israeli High Court process is still active.

What’s next: - The Israeli state is due to respond to the High Court petition by May 21. - Organizers are asking U.S. medical institutions, lawmakers and international bodies to help secure the doctors’ release. - The Capitol Hill visit is intended to build support for further coordinated action on behalf of detained healthcare workers.

The bottom line: - The May 14 action is a direct attempt to turn medical concern into political pressure for the release of detained Gaza doctors and for greater scrutiny of conditions in detention and in Gaza.