Occupied Jerusalem, Feb. 24 (SANA) – Cancer patients in Gaza Strip are facing a growing risk of slow death as Israeli occupation’s ongoing military aggression continue to cripple the territory’s health system, amid the absence of an effective international response.
Since the start of the Israeli assault more than two years ago, repeated attacks on hospitals and medical facilities have pushed most of Gaza’s health infrastructure out of service. The situation is compounded by a suffocating siege, severe shortages of medicines and medical supplies, and restrictions on patient movement.
These conditions have left thousands of cancer patients without access to treatment, follow-up care, or the possibility of travel for medical referrals, as chemotherapy services and specialized care have largely ceased.
Severe shortages and alarming indicators
The Palestinian Ministry of Health has warned that Gaza’s health system is experiencing unprecedented depletion, with shortages exceeding 66 percent of medical consumables and 84 percent of laboratory and blood bank supplies, effectively reducing critical stocks to zero.
According to data cited by the World Health Organization (WHO), Gaza is home to approximately 12,500 cancer patients, with more than 2,000 new cases diagnosed annually, including children. Specialized hospitals have been forced out of service, while intravenous chemotherapy and regular medical follow-ups have been largely suspended since mid-last year.
Medical and humanitarian organizations have warned of an immediate threat to the lives of hundreds of patients due to treatment disruption, describing cancer patients as among the most vulnerable groups under the current conditions.
Local medical sources reported that more than 1,500 cancer patients have died since the start of the Israeli war in October 2023, as a result of hospital targeting, medicine shortages, and denial of access to treatment.
“Medical execution” under occupation
Human rights reports have described the situation as reaching the stage of “medical execution,” citing the destruction of diagnostic capacity, the absence of essential drugs, and Israel’s continued obstruction of patient travel for treatment.
Rights groups have stressed that preventing cancer patients from leaving Gaza for care constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and an intentional deprivation of the right to life, particularly affecting children and critically ill patients.
Despite the limited reopening of the Rafah crossing, more than 18,000 patients, including thousands of children, remain on waiting lists for medical evacuation.
Observers warn that without urgent international action to lift restrictions, allow medical supplies to enter, restore hospital operations, and ensure patient access to treatment abroad, Gaza’s cancer patients will remain trapped between disease and deliberate neglect under occupation.
