Doctors and priests urge Catholic lawmakers to act on Gaza

By AI, Created 4:36 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – Doctors Against Genocide and Priests Against Genocide have asked the 150 Catholic members of Congress to push for an end to the Gaza blockade, halt U.S. weapons transfers to Israel and defend international law. The groups say the appeal is a moral test for Catholic lawmakers as Gaza’s humanitarian crisis deepens.

Why it matters: - The letter targets 150 Catholic members of Congress and asks them to use their votes and influence on Gaza policy. - The appeal links Catholic teaching, medical ethics and U.S. foreign policy at a moment when humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain severe. - The groups say congressional action could affect aid access, weapons transfers and accountability for alleged violations of international law.

What happened: - Doctors Against Genocide and Priests Against Genocide sent a joint letter to Catholic lawmakers in the U.S. Congress. - The letter urges immediate action to protect Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. - The groups ask lawmakers to end the blockade on Gaza, suspend weapons transfers to Israel and uphold international humanitarian law. - The letter cites catastrophic humanitarian conditions facing more than two million people in Gaza. - The appeal invokes Pope Leo XIV’s call for justice as the path to peace.

The details: - Doctors Against Genocide is a U.S.-based global coalition of healthcare workers focused on confronting genocide wherever it occurs. - Priests Against Genocide is an international network of more than 2,200 clergy in 58 countries, including about 200 in the United States. - The signatories describe their effort as a convergence of medical ethics and Catholic social teaching. - Dr. Nidal Jboor said healthcare workers are trained to act before death becomes inevitable and that medicine stands for life, humanity and human dignity. - Fr. John Heagle said the Gospel and the Catholic Church’s social justice vision compel solidarity with the people of Gaza and the West Bank. - The letter asks Catholic lawmakers to take seven specific actions: end the Gaza blockade and restore full UN-led humanitarian access; suspend transfers of weapons and military equipment to Israel, including bulldozers and high-yield munitions; guarantee freedom of movement in Gaza and allow displaced civilians to return home; secure the release of nearly 10,000 Palestinians held without due process, including healthcare workers; halt settlement expansion in the West Bank and protect Palestinian communities, including vulnerable Christian villages; support independent investigations and accountability mechanisms; and commit to a just and lasting resolution that upholds Palestinian dignity, rights and self-determination. - The letter says humanitarian aid is largely blocked, water and sanitation systems have been destroyed, and schools, universities and hospitals are in ruins. - The signatories say families are living in overcrowded tent camps where disease is widespread. - The organizations say the current ceasefire offers no justice, no accountability, no recognition of war crimes and no path to reparations. - Media contacts listed for Priests Against Genocide include Fr. John Heagle, Fr. Martin Burnham and Fr. Jacek Orzechowski. - Doctors Against Genocide listed info@doctorsagainstgenocide.org as its media contact. - The release includes social media links for Doctors Against Genocide on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and X.

Between the lines: - The joint letter frames Gaza as both a humanitarian emergency and a moral issue for Catholic lawmakers. - By citing Pope Leo XIV, the groups are signaling that the appeal is meant to carry religious authority as well as political pressure. - The focus on Catholic members of Congress suggests the organizations are trying to turn shared faith into legislative action rather than a general public campaign. - The criticism of the ceasefire points to a broader argument: stopping violence alone is not enough without accountability and reconstruction terms.

What’s next: - The groups are pressing Catholic lawmakers to act immediately, but the release does not name any formal legislative deadline or bill. - The next visible step is whether lawmakers respond publicly to the letter or take up its policy demands in Congress. - The organizations appear likely to continue using clergy and healthcare voices to push for changes on Gaza and the West Bank.

The bottom line: - Doctors Against Genocide and Priests Against Genocide are trying to turn faith-based moral pressure into concrete congressional action on Gaza.