The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced on Thursday the complete suspension of intravenous chemotherapy and medical follow-up services for cancer patients, which is an alarming development that deepens an already worsening humanitarian catastrophe caused by over seven months of blockade and ongoing Israeli attacks.
In an official statement, the Ministry reported that more than 11,000 cancer patients in the Strip are now left without any treatment or adequate healthcare, with 64% of cancer medications completely depleted and diagnostic and medical monitoring equipment rendered inoperative.
The statement added that the evacuation of the European Gaza Hospital and the Gaza Cancer Centre, due to repeated Israeli bombardments, has significantly worsened the already catastrophic conditions facing patients.
The European Gaza Hospital, the primary referral centre for oncology patients in the south of the Strip, was forced out of service on 15 May following repeated strikes by occupation forces. At the time, the Ministry of Health warned that this development had prevented patients from completing their treatment protocols, leading to a severe deterioration in their health.
The Ministry affirmed that cancer patients in Gaza are now trapped in dire living, medical, and psychological conditions. With all border crossings sealed, at least 5,000 patients are unable to access urgent treatment abroad. Meanwhile, hundreds of urgent medical aid shipments have been stuck at the border since March, with no permission granted for entry.
The suffering of cancer patients in Gaza is not merely due to a collapse of the healthcare system, but a stark manifestation of a broader war on life in the Strip, amounting to genocide by legal and humanitarian standards. The deliberate destruction of medical facilities, the prevention of access to medicine and food, and the imposition of a total blockade on civilians constitute a systematic assault on human survival itself, not just a violation of the laws of war.
Since 7 October 2023, the people of Gaza have endured relentless bombardment and suffocating restrictions, resulting in over 177,000 killed and wounded, the majority being women and children. More than 11,000 people remain missing under the rubble. The entire civilian infrastructure has been decimated, and over 1.5 million people have been displaced in what has become a clear humanitarian disaster, characterised by a deliberate policy of starvation carried out by the occupying authorities with premeditation.
The current situation leaves no room for moral ambiguity or humanitarian hesitation. Denying thousands of patients access to treatment, with no alternatives available, is a crime that does not expire. It is being perpetrated against a besieged population that has been deprived of its most basic rights to life, dignity, and healthcare for 18 years.
