A group of physicians clad in white coats gathered in solemn protest this week in the heart of American power. Doctors Against Genocide (DAG), a global humanitarian group, marched to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to demand U.S. lawmakers intervene to stop the accelerating humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Chanting “Let the children eat!” and “Bread not bombs!” while holding loaves of bread in their hands, the doctors painted a harrowing picture of the siege Israel has imposed on the besieged enclave.
With voices steeped in grief and urgency, DAG members called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the lifting of Israel’s blockade, and the unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid. Gaza, home to 2.4 million Palestinians, has been pushed into complete collapse. Over 1 million children are among those now facing starvation. The United Nations World Food Programme announced last week that its food reserves in Gaza are completely depleted, while nearly 3,000 trucks loaded with aid sit idle at the border, denied entry by Israel.
Gaza’s Collapse and the Role of the United States
The doctors did not mince words: they called out the Israeli government’s deliberate use of starvation and destruction of healthcare infrastructure as acts that may amount to genocide. “When children die of starvation, they don’t even cry,” said Dr. Mohamed Kuziez, a pediatrician from Colorado and DAG member. “Their little hearts just slow down until they stop.” He spoke of treating starving children in Gaza two months ago—children who are now likely dead due to the ongoing blockade on food and medical aid.
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Israel reignited its military assault on Gaza on March 18, breaking a previous ceasefire. Since October 2023, more than 52,300 Palestinians—most of them women and children—have been killed. According to Human Rights Watch and other credible observers, Israel’s targeting of hospitals, ambulances, and aid convoys is not collateral damage, but calculated policy. In one horrifying instance, the bodies of more than a dozen aid workers and medics were found in a mass grave, their deaths attributed to deliberate targeting.
The doctors also called out the complicity of the United States. By continuing to provide weapons and diplomatic cover to Israel, and by bombing Yemen—another Muslim-majority country—DAG argued that the U.S. is fueling cycles of violence that destroy innocent lives. The group further urged Congress to defend constitutional freedoms, including free speech, which are increasingly under threat for those advocating Palestinian human rights.
Doctors Bear Witness to Horror and Heroism
Dr. Brennan Bollman, who recently returned from Gaza, spoke of her Palestinian colleagues who returned to emergency wards the day after losing their entire families. “What I saw in Gaza,” she said, “goes beyond compassion, beyond courage.” These medics, many of whom have themselves been kidnapped, tortured, or executed by Israeli forces, continue to perform surgeries, treat wounded children, and save lives in hospitals running without electricity, supplies, or food.
The healthcare system in Gaza is not just on the brink—it is being systematically dismantled. Hospitals have been bombed, medical workers shot, ambulances denied passage, and patients left to die for want of oxygen, antibiotics, or even clean water. The World Health Organization now reports its Gaza warehouses have run out of therapeutic milk, painkillers, and even spare parts for oxygen stations.
As the International Court of Justice continues its hearings on Israel’s responsibility to allow food and medicine into Gaza, DAG’s rally brings a moral reminder to the halls of American power: no political alliance justifies collective punishment. “This is not about geopolitics,” Dr. Kuemmerle declared. “This is about human survival. This is about children with hollow eyes and empty stomachs.”
As the sun set on Capitol Hill, the cries of “Let the children eat” lingered in the air—a call not just for policy change, but for a return to conscience.