‘Healthcare not bombs’: How Gaza shaped Adam Hamawy’s path to US Congress

What the report says

Adam Hamawy, a former U.S. Army surgeon and Gaza volunteer, won election to the U.S. House from New Jersey, according to Al Jazeera, becoming the state’s first Muslim American elected to Congress. The outlet reported that Hamawy celebrated with supporters in Plainsboro, New Jersey, after a campaign that linked his personal and professional experiences to a platform built around healthcare, debt relief and opposition to U.S. military support for Israel.

Al Jazeera said Hamawy’s political turn was shaped by service in Iraq, humanitarian work in several countries, and medical missions to Gaza in 2024 and 2025. He described what he saw there as extreme destruction and said those experiences made it difficult to return to ordinary life. His campaign slogan, “healthcare not bombs,” reflected his broader message that U.S. spending priorities should shift toward domestic care rather than war.

The article also noted that Hamawy faced criticism during the race, including attacks described by him and supporters as anti-Muslim, as well as scrutiny over an old association with Omar Abdel Rahman, the Egyptian cleric later convicted in a terrorism-related case. Hamawy has said he condemned Abdel Rahman’s rhetoric and attended related proceedings as a civic duty.

Beyond foreign policy, Hamawy campaigned for universal healthcare, an end to medical and student debt, and stronger protections for Palestinians. Al Jazeera presented his win as part of a broader night for Muslim American candidates and as a rebuttal to Islamophobic rhetoric in the campaign season.