WEST BANK — More than 40 members of the United States Congress sent a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on August 25, 2026, calling for the release of Sama Safi. The lawmakers urged immediate action regarding the 20-year-old US citizen who has been detained by the Israeli military since June 2026.

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib led the group of lawmakers who signed the letter to Secretary Rubio. Six US senators, including Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Chris Van Hollen, signed the letter alongside members of the House of Representatives.

Tlaib said the lawmakers urge Rubio to act swiftly and use every tool at his disposal to secure the immediate release of Sama Safi so that she can receive the medical care she urgently needs and return to her family, her studies, and the life and freedom that every 20-year-old deserves.

Tlaib said every day that Sama remains wrongfully detained in these inhumane conditions, she is at greater risk of irreversible and life-threatening repercussions, and that her life is at risk on Rubio's watch.

The Israeli military arrested Sama Safi at her family’s home in Ramallah on June 2, 2026, according to Truthout. Safi was attending Birzeit University at the time of her detention.

Sama Safi suffers from Familial Mediterranean Fever, a genetic disorder causing fevers and inflammation. She has not had regular access to medication for her chronic medical condition while in detention. Safi has been moved across several detention facilities during her imprisonment.

Tlaib said Safi described being subjected to repeated verbal abuse and being placed in painful stress positions, as well as the presence of rapidly spreading infectious skin disease, rats, and mattresses reeking of feces.

The US State Department declined to comment on the specifics of Sama Safi’s case, citing privacy concerns. A State Department spokesperson stated the Trump administration considers the safety and security of US citizens a high priority. The spokesperson said the administration is aware of reports of an American detained in the West Bank.

The spokesperson said the Trump Administration takes its commitment to assist Americans abroad seriously and is tracking the situation. The spokesperson added that when Americans are detained abroad, the Department advocates for their access to adequate medical care, proper treatment, and regular consular visits. Raed Jarrar, advocacy director at DAWN, stated that Sama Safi’s detention should trigger suspending US military aid to Israel under the Leahy Law.

Why It Matters

The detention of Sama Safi occurs within a context of US financial support to Israel. Israel has received approximately $25 billion in US military aid since October 2023. The events described span 3 years, from 2023 to 2026.

Israeli soldiers and settlers have killed several US citizens since October 2023. No criminal charges have resulted from the deaths of US citizens Sayfollah Musallet, Nasrallah Abu Siyam, or Aysenur Ezgi Eygi.

Timeline

The Israeli military killed Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a US activist from Seattle, in 2024. In May 2024, United Nations special rapporteur on torture Alice Jill Edwards reported on the conditions of detainees. Edwards said emergency measures introduced after 7 October 2023 exposed Palestinian detainees to torture, potentially unlawful deaths, incommunicado detention, and degrading conditions.

In 2025, Israel detained American teenager Mohammed Ibrahim for nine months before releasing him following advocacy by US lawmakers. Also in 2025, Sayfollah Musallet, a US citizen, was beaten to death in a settler attack. Israeli settlers fatally shot Nasrallah Abu Siyam, a 19-year-old American citizen, in February 2026.

What's New

Later reporting confirmed specific details regarding the arrest location and legal status of the detainee. The Israeli military arrested 20-year-old U.S. citizen Sama Safi at her family’s home in Ramallah on June 2, 2026, and has held her in military detention without charge since that date. Additional context clarified the geographic and political status of the region where the arrest occurred. West Bank is Palestinian territory on the western bank of the Jordan River, occupied by Israel.