Top aides for President Joe Biden plan to meet with local Palestinian Americans while in Michigan on Thursday.
Dr. Yamaan Saadeh, a neurosurgeon at the University of Michigan, has been invited to meet with officials from the administration, where he plans to plead for his family to be evacuated from Gaza.
“There has to be a mechanism to allow families of Palestinian-Americans to leave Gaza,” said Saadeh.
Saadeh said his father, stepmom, and three sisters have been trapped in a war zone for months. They’re starving, homeless, and scared.
“While we’re grateful President Biden is sending senior aides, I think that’s the bare minimum, but it’s still not enough,” Saadeh said. “What’s going on is one of the worst humanitarian disasters in history.”
The details of the meeting are still pending.
The White House aides are also scheduled to meet with local Arab American and Muslim leaders who are frustrated with the administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The community leaders and Saadeh are asking the administration to order an immediate cease-fire.
“Sometimes being a good friend and a good ally is telling your ally and your friend that enough is enough; this has to stop,” said Saadeh.