Rep. Summer Lee Stands with American Families Demanding Justice and Accountability for Loved Ones Killed or Detained by Israeli Forces and Settlers

September 16, 2025

“The United States is abandoning its own people to protect a foreign government that does not think twice about us.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 — Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) joined Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), their colleagues, and a delegation of American families whose loved ones have been killed or unjustly detained by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

At a press conference at the House Triangle, Congresswoman Lee stood alongside families who shared heartbreaking testimony of their children and loved ones, demanding accountability from the U.S. government and urgent action to end impunity for the killing and detention of American citizens abroad.

An excerpt from Rep. Lee’s remarks are below. To view the full video, click here.

“In the early days of the genocide, there were planes that were arranged to get American citizens out of Israel, but for the American citizens who were trapped in Gaza, there was nothing they were left to fend for themselves. I think of the Pennsylvanian family whose children were attacked in the bombing as they made their way to Rafah. Right now, there are Pennsylvanian, American children who are permanently disabled and traumatized because the U.S. government didn't help them to get out in time.”

“The reality is we have one system of treatment for one group of folk, and we have another system for another group of folk. Why aren't Palestinian Americans protected in the same way from a foreign government as Americans of any other background? Why aren't their members of Congress standing here with us today? These families, these children, their loved ones, have been murdered or terrorized by a foreign government with no justice and no accountability.”

The delegation included:

Ozden Eygi Bennett and Hamid Ali, sister and husband of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, a U.S.-Turkish student shot in the head and killed by an Israeli soldier on September 6, 2024, while peacefully protesting in Beita in the occupied West Bank.
Kamel Musallet, father of Sayfollah “Saif” Musallet, a 20-year-old Palestinian-American entrepreneur from Florida, beaten to death by Israeli settlers on July 11, 2025, as they attempted to seize his family’s land. Israeli soldiers blocked ambulances from reaching him for hours.
Hafeth Jabbar, father of Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, a 17-year-old Palestinian-American high school senior from Louisiana who was shot and killed by Israeli gunfire on January 19, 2024, while driving with a friend in the West Bank. Tawfic dreamed of becoming an aeronautical engineer and working at NASA.
Cindy and Craig Corrie, parents of Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old American activist crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza in 2003 while peacefully protesting home demolitions.
Zeyad Ibrahim, uncle of Mohammed Ibrahim, a 16-year-old Palestinian-American who has been unjustly imprisoned by Israeli forces since February 2025. Mohammed is currently detained in Ofer prison, where he has been denied food and medical care, losing more than 30 pounds and suffering untreated illness.

Since 2022, Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 10 American citizens in the West Bank and Gaza. Despite this, the U.S. government has failed to secure accountability, protect Palestinian-American families, or prevent further violence.

Congresswoman Summer Lee serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Education and Workforce. Since taking office in January 2023, she has delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $2.4 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs.  Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 3,000 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.