I write on behalf of a group of Maine health care workers and allies who have joined the People’s Hunger Strike (peopleshungerstrike.org) for Gaza. Israel continues to starve children to death in Gaza and famine spreads under the rain of U.S.-made bombs. 

In the United States, we in health care often struggle to figure out how to help patients secure their most basic needs: healthy food, medications and shelter. We worry about patients who can’t access adequate services. And we think of the $30 billion given to Israel since 2023 and how far that money — our tax dollars — could go to address our patients’ needs.

We think of the shattered health care system in Gaza, deliberately destroyed by Israel with bombs made in this country and Israel’s incessant targeting of health care workers, journalists and children. We grieve thinking of our Palestinian colleagues, who have pledged, like us, to do no harm, and are being targeted by Israel and assassinated, abducted and tortured.

For two years, the U.S. has been actively complicit in this ongoing genocide. It was predicted months ago and we did not prevent it. Children and the vulnerable are now dying of intentional starvation. Others are dying because of a lack of medicine and health care, while aid and medical teams are a stone’s throw away but prevented by Israel from reaching them.

We must act now to block the bombs and move on urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. 

Diana Lapp, MD
Portland