Thousands of Americans have signed a petition through the official website of the US Congress to press lawmakers to force the administration of President Donald Trump to support the Palestinian health sector in confronting the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Activists supporting the Palestinian cause and Palestinian organizations in the United States have launched a campaign a few days ago to collect 10,000 signatures on the petition to release previously approved $75 million in medical aid to the Palestinians that was allocated by Congress for the fiscal year 2020 and which the US administration refuses to release.

“The campaign aims to collect 10,000 signatures on the petition in order to move to the second phase, which has already started by working with members of Congress who support the Palestinian rights to get a legislative position,” Sinan Shaqdeh, one of the campaigners, told WAFA.

He said there are contacts with US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders to lead this effort in Congress.

The petition calls on the American administration to reconsider its policies related to stopping all aid to the Palestinians as well as its contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

Members of the US Senate had called on Trump in a letter addressed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on March 24 to provide assistance to the Palestinian people in light of the spread of coronavirus.