US doctors and veterans ask Trump end of support to Israel

War veterans, doctors and activists say Trump has betrayed the promise of peace and responsible for sustaining the escalation of violence

A day marked by indignation and appeal to international conscience, veterans of war, doctors and activists gathered before the Capitol of the United States on Thursday to demand that President Donald Trump and legislators re-evaluate Israel’s unconditional support to the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The protest, which was attended by congressman Rashida Tlaib (Michigan) and various human rights advocates, was marked by thrilled speeches and symbolic acts who denounced what they call “hunger used as a weapon of war” against the Palestinian population at the Gaza Enclave.

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Josephine Guilbeau, a 17 -year -old American army veteran, was one of the most moving voices of the act. With emotion, she questioned the morality of the international community in the face of deliberate hunger: “The level of evil needed to make the decision to kill a hungry baby as a means of war – how much do we come as humanity?”

The demonstration featured the symbolic beaten of empty pans, alluding to hunger that plagues Gaza, where, according to reports of the UN and local authorities, more than 100 people have already died of starvation due to the blockade imposed by Israel. According to protesters, the United States are accomplices of this situation by providing billions of dollars in military aid annually.

“We are here to tell our representatives: listen to the American people. We are not all in favor of what is happening there,” said Rashida Tlaib, who also criticized Congress colleagues who, according to her, ignore the growing popular dissatisfaction with US foreign policy about Israel.

Criticism of US foreign policy

The demonstration also marked a division within the American progressive spectrum itself. Tlaib seemed to question the opposite vote of congressman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) to an amendment that sought to cut $ 500 million into anti-meal aid to Israel. Although AOC justified his vote by stating that defensive weapons do not help to stop the bombing to civilians, Tlaib countered: “No matter which weapons – offensive or defensive – we will stop allowing genocide.”

Stacy Gilbert, a former state department employee who resigned in 2024 in protest against US government stance, also spoke out. She stated that hunger in Gaza is the result of Israel’s deliberate decisions and that the US has the power to change this scenario: “I am asking Trump to break with this policy that began with Biden – this disastrous policy of unconditional military support to Israel.”

Doctors denounce humanitarian failures

Nidal Jboor, a doctor from Michigan and a member of the Médicos Against Genocide Group, also made a direct appeal to President Trump. He recalled that during the election campaign, Trump promised peace to the region and won votes from Arab and Muslim communities with this promise. “People voted for him because he has promised peace, and now he is breaking his promises,” Jboor told Al Jazeera.

The doctor warned that Trump’s legacy will be judged by the story: “We are not like that. Americans are better than that. What we are supporting in Gaza does not make the United States big again.”

GHF initiative is criticized by activists

In May, the US and Israel launched an initiative to centralize the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza through a private organization called GHF (Gaza Humanitarian Forum). However, Palestinians and Human Rights Groups report that distribution sites are controlled by Israeli forces and have been a frequent target of shooting, resulting in dozens of dead.

Although the US announces the distribution of 90 million meals through GHF, this number is considered insufficient to serve the population of two million people in Gaza. In addition, the aid has been repeatedly interrupted by bombing and shots.

Given this, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the US is “aware” of the humanitarian situation and reiterated support to GHF, accusing Hamas of diverting distributed help by the UN. However, international reports question this version and point to the Israeli government as responsible for the systematic restriction of food and supplies.

In an interview with Israeli press, Israel’s Heritage Minister, Amichai Eliyahu, reinforced the government’s hard line by stating that “there is no nation to feed its enemies,” suggesting that hunger in Gaza is an intentional consequence of his country’s politics.

Protesters bet on popular pressure

Even after 22 months of conflict and thousands of dead, protesters before the capitol showed optimism. Josephine Guilbeau summed up the feeling of the crowd: “Each voice is powerful to make a difference. We have to change the mindset of our leaders and make them understand that if they do not stop financing Israel, we will expel them.”

The protest reinforces a growing mobilization in the United States in defense of Palestinian rights and pressures the US government to review its stance in one of the greatest humanitarian crises of the 21st century. Although the US continues to defend its support to Israel, popular pressure may be a determining factor in the political decisions of the coming months.

As Israel led Gaza to the limit: “Hungry, alone and hunt”

What began as a military response to an attack from Hamas in October 2023 has become, over 21 months, a campaign of systematic destruction that international analysts describe as a war against the very existence of Palestinian society in Gaza.

According to data compiled by humanitarian organizations and on -site testimonies, Israel has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, wounded another 143,000 and moved hundreds of thousands of people. Hunger, used as a weapon of war, has become a reality for much of the population. In recent weeks alone, more than 100 people have died of innion – 80 of them children.

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“Israel destroyed the idea of society in Gaza,” says Derek Summerfield, a British psychiatrist specializing in conflict. “Universities, hospitals, mosques, everything has been decimated. It has become a sociocide war,” he adds, using a term that describes the destruction of social and identity structures of a people.

Hunger as Politics

Hunger in Gaza is not a byproduct of war, but a deliberate policy, experts. The systematic interruption of food, water and electricity supply combined with the military siege has created conditions that many describe as genocide.

“It’s not just about killing hunger children. It’s about dismantling a society and reducing its inhabitants to desperate and hungry victims,” says Alex de Waal, executive director of World Peace Foundation. “This dehumanizes and degrades the sufferer. Hunger is an act, and often criminal.”

The situation is so serious that even journalists and humanitarian workers in Gaza began to suffer the effects of malnutrition. Al Jazeera and AFP have made urgent appeals asking for protection for their professionals, who can no longer work due to their own physical deterioration.

The expulsion strategy

For many analysts, Israel’s goal is not just to defeat Hamas, but forcing the Palestinian population to leave Gaza. The concept of “humanitarian city” proposed by Israel, according to critics, is but a disguised concentration camp, where the Palestinians would be temporarily confined before being permanently expelled.

“Israel has adopted a formula in recent weeks that have been making the conditions in intolerable Gaza and unable to support human life,” says Mouin Rabbani, co -editor of the Jadaliyya portal. “If this can reduce life at this level while increasing the level of chaos and anarchy, the idea is that people will leave.”

The Israeli proposal provides for the creation of a zone along the Egyptian border, where the Palestinians would be concentrated. But international critics claim that this is a hidden form of ethnic cleaning.

A divided government

Israel’s policy in Gaza is marked by an internal division. Extreme right ministers, such as Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, openly defend the expulsion of the Palestinians. On the other hand, sectors of Israeli security are divided between continuing or ending the offensive.

“It has all this: messianic ambitions, political cynicism and opportunism,” says Yossi Mekelberg, consultant for Chatham House. “Benjamin Netanyahu is being tried for corruption and his priority is to survive politically. For him, it all comes down to that.”

The Legacy of Destruction

The consequences of war in Gaza will be felt for generations. Those who survived will carry physical and psychological trauma. Those who died will probably have no grave. And those who have been expelled can hardly return.

“Israel is leading Gaza to a total break,” says Summerfield. “People are wandering around, hungry, alone and hunting. It’s an apocalyptic scene.”

With the international community watching powerless, and with ceasefire negotiations still without concrete results, the population of Gaza is still surrounded by bombing, hunger and hopelessness.

The image of Yazan, a two -year -old malnourished boy sitting between the rubble of his family’s house, summarizes the drama of a people who, according to analysts, was brought to the limit of survival.

And the question that hangs over the world is: How far will international silence allow it to continue?

With information from Al Jazeera*