Muslim civil rights group also calls for probe of torture of Gaza doctor held in notorious Israeli detention system
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 7/18/2025) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called for a United Nations and International Criminal Courtwar crimes investigation of Israel’s alleged use of drones bombs packed with nails to target civilians in Gaza.
Medical personnel in Gaza report treating children who were burned and injured by drone missiles packed with “nails, metals and shrapnel,” resulting in severe internal injuries and death. Israeli drone attacks on large crowds in markets or waiting for food and water have reportedly been on the rise.
SEE: Israel kills 30 in Gaza attacks, using ‘drone missiles packed with nails’
Israel has slaughtered more than 58,000 people in Gaza – and possibly many more – mostly women and children.
CAIR also called for the immediate release of Palestinian Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, who was seized by Israeli forces in Gaza and now faces torture and abuse. Abu Safya is held in solitary confinement at the notorious Ofer military prison, which – like other Israeli detention centers – has a well-documented history of torture and abuse of detainees.
SEE: Gaza doctor Abu Safiya given ‘two spoonfuls of rice a day’ in Israeli jail
In a statement, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:
“The intentional targeting of civilians with weapons designed to maximize injuries and death is not only morally indefensible, but it is also a clear violation of international humanitarian law.
“We urge the United Nations and the International Criminal Court to launch an immediate and transparent war crimes investigation into Israel’s reported use of these inhumane weapons, and to hold those responsible fully accountable.
“We also demand the immediate release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, who faces torture, abuse and possible death in the brutal Israeli detention system.
“CAIR reiterates its call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the end to the forced starvation and ethnic cleansing of Gaza, and full access for humanitarian aid organizations to assist the starving and the forcibly-displaced population.
“We also urge the Trump administration to end its unconditional political and military support for the far-right Israeli government of indicted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu and to uphold U.S. and international laws that prohibit the use of American weapons and aid in the commission of war crimes.”
Yesterday, CAIR said a deadly Israeli attack on the only Catholic church in Gaza shows “Israel’s brutal disregard for religious sites and the indiscriminate nature of its genocide.”
CAIR also called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Attorney General Pam Bondi to launch a full U.S. investigation into the killing of Florida resident and U.S. citizen Sayfollah (“Saif”) Musallet, who was reportedly beaten to death on July 11 by a mob of illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
Also this week, CAIR condemned the massacre of some 20 starving Palestinians after guards of the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) reportedly threw stun grenades and used pepper spray at an aid concentration site.
So far almost 900 people have been slaughtered and thousands have been wounded while trying to access food.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com