American Families Demand Justice for Loved Ones Killed by Israeli Violence

Members of five American families are making an unprecedented trip to Washington, D.C. this week to demand justice for their loved ones who were victims of Israeli violence. Four families’ loved ones were killed by Israeli forces and settlers, and one is currently in detention. In meetings with members of Congress and at a press conference on Tuesday with Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), they will call for an end to impunity for Israeli forces and settlers and for the release of a Palestinian-American teenager who is in danger of dying in an Israeli prison after being unjustly detained in February. The prison is notorious for abusing Palestinian children.

The historic delegation aims to cast a light on the crimes committed by the Israeli military and settlers against their family members in Palestine and to seek protection for Palestinian Americans who remain under threat from Israeli violence. Their broader focus is the universal failure to hold Israel accountable amid its ongoing U.S.-enabled genocide in Gaza and rampant settler violence in the West Bank.

At least six Americans have been killed by Israel in the occupied West Bank since January 2024. Three of their families are represented on the delegation, which also includes the parents of Rachel Corrie, who was killed in 2003. They have meetings scheduled with multiple members of the House and Senate and held a press conference with several of them on Capitol Hill this morning.

The delegation will call on U.S. government officials to secure the release of Mohammed Ibrahim, a 16-year-old Palestinian American from Florida unjustly imprisoned by Israel since February. According to his attorneys, he is suffering from scabies and has lost more than 30 pounds due to the denial of food and medical treatment.