DayofPal—Thousands of Palestinian cancer patients in Gaza remain without life-saving treatment as war, crossing closures, and severe medical shortages prevent evacuation for treatment abroad, according to the United Nations and humanitarian organizations.
Among them is Ismail Abu Naji, now just over two years old, who was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer shortly before Israel imposed a full blockade on Gaza following the Gaza war in 2023.
Plans to transfer him to a Al-Makassed hospital in Jerusalem were halted, leaving him trapped inside Gaza as his condition deteriorated.
With chemotherapy and even basic painkillers unavailable, his mother now relies on saltwater compresses to ease his pain while living displaced in a school shelter.
Doctors in Gaza say cancer-related deaths have tripled since the war began. In March 2025, Israeli forces destroyed Gaza’s only specialised cancer hospital, leaving oncologists to work in makeshift clinics with minimal equipment.
Physicians report severe shortages of diagnostic tools and chemotherapy drugs, making proper diagnosis and treatment nearly impossible.
“We are losing patients without even being able to confirm their diagnosis,” said Dr Saleh Sheikh Al-Eid, an oncologist at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis. “Our resources are almost nonexistent.”
According to the World Health Organization, around 10,700 Palestinians have been evacuated for specialized treatment since October 2023, nearly a quarter of them cancer patients.
However, more than 11,000 cancer patients in Gaza still require care outside the territory. The UN says at least 900 people have already died while waiting for evacuation.
Evacuations have become increasingly difficult since the closure of the Rafah crossing in May 2024. Israeli human rights group Physicians for Human Rights Israel says Israel is failing to meet its legal obligation to ensure access to medical care for civilians under its control.
Israel’s military administration agency, Cogat, denies restricting medical evacuations, stating that requests are approved subject to security screening.
In a rare breakthrough, Palestinian cancer patient Dr Nour El-Din Abu Ajwa was allowed to leave Gaza earlier this month following a legal battle in Israel’s high court. Human rights groups say the case could set a precedent for other critically ill patients.
For many, relief comes too late. Several children who were receiving cancer treatment in Jerusalem before the war have since died, unable to continue care.
As winter storms hit Gaza’s overcrowded shelters, Ismail’s mother continues tending to her son’s wounds with limited means.
“As a mother, it is unbearable to watch your child suffer and be unable to help,” she said. “I only wish I could ease his pain.”
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