More than 40 members of the U.S. Congress have written to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging him to facilitate the release of Sama Safi, a 20-year-old American citizen who has been held by Israeli forces since June.
Lawmakers warned Tuesday that the health conditions of Palestinian American students in Israeli detention are deteriorating under “horrifying conditions.”
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“Every day Sama continues to be unjustly detained in these inhumane conditions, she is at increased risk of irreversible and life-threatening consequences,” the lawmakers, led by Rep. Rashida Tlaib, wrote to Rubio.
“Her life is at risk on your watch. We urge you to act quickly and use all tools at your disposal to secure Sama Safi’s immediate release so she can receive urgently needed medical care, return to her family, study, and regain the life and freedom that a 20-year-old deserves.”
Six U.S. senators, including Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Chris Van Hollen, signed the letter along with dozens of members of Congress.
Israeli forces abducted Safi, who was attending Birzeit University, from her home in the occupied West Bank in a pre-dawn raid nearly three months ago and continue to hold her without charge.
Safi was one of four young women detained in June as part of Israel’s crackdown on anti-occupation activities.
Abuse in Israeli prisons
Since the start of the genocidal war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, Israel has received approximately $25 billion in military aid from the United States.
Over the past few years, Israeli soldiers and settlers have killed several Americans, including Saiforah Musalet, who was bludgeoned to death in a settler attack last year.
In February, Israeli settlers also shot and killed 19-year-old American citizen Nasrallah Abu Siyam. In 2024, Israeli forces killed Aysenur Ezgi Eigi, a US activist living in Seattle.
None of the incidents resulted in criminal charges against the perpetrators.
Israel detained American teenager Mohamed Ibrahim for nine months last year, but only released him after protests from American lawmakers as his family warned he could die from malnutrition and abuse in Israeli custody.
Human rights groups have documented horrific and widespread abuses by Israel against Palestinian detainees, including sexual violence.
“The emergency measures introduced since October 7, 2023 have exposed Palestinian detainees to torture, possible wrongful death, incommunicado detention, and poor conditions,” Alice Gilles Edwards, the United Nations special rapporteur on torture, said in a May report.
In a letter to Rubio, U.S. lawmakers stressed that Safi suffers from a chronic disease known as familial Mediterranean fever, a genetic disorder that causes fever and inflammation, but is unable to take her medication regularly.
Palestinian American detainees were also transferred to multiple facilities.
“She describes repeated verbal abuse and being placed in painful pressure positions, as well as the presence of a rapidly spreading infectious skin disease, rats, and a mattress that smelled of feces,” the letter states.
The Trump administration is “aware” of the incident.
The State Department said it does not comment on communications in Congress and declined to comment on the details of Safi’s case, citing privacy concerns.
A State Department spokesperson told Al Jazeera that President Donald Trump’s administration “has no higher priority than the safety and security” of the American people.
“We are aware of reports that an American national has been detained in the West Bank,” the spokesperson said. “The Trump Administration takes seriously its commitment to assist Americans abroad, and we are tracking the situation. When Americans are detained overseas, the Department advocates for appropriate medical care, appropriate treatment, and regular consular visits.”
Raed Jarrah, advocacy director for the US-based rights group DAWN, suggested that US military aid to Israel should be halted under Washington regulations, including the Leahy Act, following Safi’s detention.
“Samaa Safi is an American citizen. Her own government has abandoned her,” he told Al Jazeera. “The State Department’s job is to fight for her release, and it refuses to do that job. U.S. law requires more than advocacy. Under the Foreign Assistance Act and the Leahy Act, prolonged detention without charge is a serious human rights violation, and Washington must reduce all military aid to the Israeli forces holding her.”
The Israeli government did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment at the time of publication.
Earlier this month, the Israeli military told Florida radio station WMNF that it had detained four “female suspects” in the West Bank “after facilitating hostile terrorist activities and further terrorist-related activities.”
