Kaine, Colleagues Urge Trump Administration to Help Address Humanitarian Crisis and Rebuild Medical Infrastructure in Gaza

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined a bicameral group of Democratic lawmakers in writing to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging that the United States work with both Israeli authorities and international partners to push toward rebuilding accessible hospitals and medical infrastructure in Gaza. After two years of brutal conflict, Gaza’s medical infrastructure lies in ruins, leaving millions unable to seek even basic care and thousands suffering from life-threatening injuries.

“Gaza’s health system is in dire straits, leaving civilians without access to the most basic medical care. It is crucial that accessible hospitals and medical infrastructure be rebuilt, and that medical aid and healthcare professionals be allowed to enter Gaza without delay,” the lawmakers wrote. “According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 94 percent of Gaza’s hospitals have been damaged or destroyed, and those that remain are overwhelmed. With more than half of all essential drugs and two-thirds of medical disposables completely depleted, Gaza’s few functioning hospitals are unable to perform basic surgeries, treat chronic diseases, or care for malnourished children. The WHO estimates that more than 15,600 patients, including 3,800 children, require urgent medical evacuation to receive life-saving care; and at least 700 people have already died while awaiting transfer.”

“Ensuring that children and families devastated by this war have access to medical treatment is indispensable to rebuilding trust and hope. The next generation cannot build peace without healing from the physical and emotional scars of this conflict,” the lawmakers continued. “By pressing for the release of Gaza’s detained medical workers, rebuilding accessible hospitals and medical infrastructure, and reopening pathways to the East Jerusalem Hospital Network, the United States can help alleviate immense suffering, advance regional stability, and reaffirm our nation’s role as a credible partner for peace.”

The lawmakers request answers to the following questions by December 1, 2025:

1. What steps is the State Department taking to facilitate medical evacuations for critically ill and injured Palestinians?
2. What actions has the State Department taken to secure unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza to deliver desperately needed medical supplies, food, and water?
3. What actions will the State Department pursue to secure the release of detained health workers held without charge?
4. How will the State Department facilitate the reopening of the medical corridor between Gaza and the East Jerusalem Hospital Network and other facilities with the assurance that patients be allowed to return to Gaza when able?
5. How will the State Department assist in rebuilding accessible hospitals and medical infrastructure in Gaza?

The letter was led by U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and U.S. Representative Maxine Dexter (D-OR-03). In addition to Kaine, a group of more than 100 Democratic lawmakers from both chambers of Congress signed the letter.

Full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary Rubio:

Gaza’s medical infrastructure remains devastated after two years of conflict, leaving tens of thousands of critically ill and injured people without access to lifesaving treatment. As Israel’s closest ally, the United States is uniquely positioned to help reestablish access to vital medical services. Addressing the dire medical situation gripping Gaza is not only the right thing to do but essential in any effort to stabilize the region and ensure a path towards peace. We urge the State Department to work with Israeli authorities and international partners to rebuild accessible hospitals and medical infrastructure in Gaza, reopen safe and reliable medical corridors— particularly those connecting to the East Jerusalem Hospital Network (EJHN)—and press for the release of Palestinian medical workers detained without charge, whose absence has further crippled Gaza’s ability to provide care.

Gaza’s health system is in dire straits, leaving civilians without access to the most basic medical care. It is crucial that accessible hospitals and medical infrastructure be rebuilt, and that medical aid and healthcare professionals be allowed to enter Gaza without delay. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 94 percent of Gaza’s hospitals have been damaged or destroyed, and those that remain are overwhelmed. With more than half of all essential drugs and two-thirds of medical disposables completely depleted, Gaza’s few functioning hospitals are unable to perform basic surgeries, treat chronic diseases, or care for malnourished children. The WHO estimates that more than 15,600 patients, including 3,800 children, require urgent medical evacuation to receive life-saving care; and at least 700 people have already died while awaiting transfer. The need for medical evacuations is only rising, far outpacing any relief effort. At the same time, more than half a million people in Gaza are enduring famine, while over 1.5 million face severe food insecurity, placing additional pressure on the Gazan medical sector.

The conditions on the ground paint a clear picture: Gaza’s health care system lies in ruins. There is a humanitarian emergency. The United States must act decisively to help restore access to medical care and prevent further loss of life.

Rebuilding accessible hospitals and medical infrastructure in Gaza, in addition to reestablishing the medical corridor to the East Jerusalem Hospital Network, is essential to saving lives and restoring regional stability. The EJHN is a group of six hospitals that has the doctors, facilities, and capacity to provide advanced care to those in need of immediate medical attention. It is uniquely equipped to treat Gaza’s most critical cases. Before October 2023, Palestinians from Gaza regularly received care in these hospitals through an established referral system. Restoring this access would be the most efficient way to relieve Gaza’s failing health system, reduce civilian suffering, and reinforce long-standing U.S. humanitarian commitments.

The EJHN has long received bipartisan-supported U.S. investment through congressional foreign aid appropriations. Between 2014 and 2024, the United States provided $202 million to the EJHN, all of which was delivered in compliance with oversight, vetting, and anti-terrorism requirements. A renewed humanitarian medical corridor, facilitated through the WHO’s established patient referral mechanisms and coordinated with Israel and regional partners, would save lives and demonstrate America’s commitment to humanitarian assistance.

We are also deeply alarmed by the continued detention of Palestinian medical workers by Israeli forces, which has further weakened Gaza’s ability to deliver life-saving care. According to reports, at least 115 doctors, nurses, and paramedics remain in Israeli custody, along with the remains of four other health professionals who died while being held. These individuals are being incarcerated under “administrative detention,” a practice that allows them to be imprisoned indefinitely without charge, trial, or access to evidence, in violation of basic due process and international humanitarian norms.

Detaining medical personnel not only contravenes the principle of medical neutrality, which protects healthcare workers in conflict zones, but also deprives Gaza’s civilians of desperately needed medical care. We urge you to press the Israeli government to immediately release all medical professionals being held under administrative detention and reaffirm that the protection of doctors and nurses is a fundamental obligation under international law.

Alleviating Gaza’s health crisis is not only a moral imperative; it is essential to the success of the administration’s 20-Point Peace Plan. Restoring access to care through a medical evacuation corridor and facilitating the release of detained Palestinian medical personnel will save lives, help contain the spread of disease, and strengthen the foundation for a durable ceasefire. These steps are critical to achieving the plan’s vision for long-term stability and coexistence.

Ensuring that children and families devastated by this war have access to medical treatment is indispensable to rebuilding trust and hope. The next generation cannot build peace without healing from the physical and emotional scars of this conflict. By pressing for the release of Gaza’s detained medical workers, rebuilding accessible hospitals and medical infrastructure, and reopening pathways to the East Jerusalem Hospital Network, the United States can help alleviate immense suffering, advance regional stability, and reaffirm our nation’s role as a credible partner for peace.

Given our concerns about Gaza’s medical infrastructure and detained Palestinian medical workers, please respond to the following questions in writing by December 1, 2025:

1. What steps is the State Department taking to facilitate medical evacuations for critically ill and injured Palestinians?
2. What actions has the State Department taken to secure unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza to deliver desperately needed medical supplies, food, and water?
3. What actions will the State Department pursue to secure the release of detained health workers held without charge?
4. How will the State Department facilitate the reopening of the medical corridor between Gaza and the East Jerusalem Hospital Network and other facilities with the assurance that patients be allowed to return to Gaza when able?
5. How will the State Department assist in rebuilding accessible hospitals and medical infrastructure in Gaza? We appreciate your attention to this urgent issue and stand ready to support efforts that reflect our country’s commitment to humanitarian values.

Sincerely,

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