“We are dying. Every day, two to three patients die inside this hospital,” says Munther Abu Foul, a cancer patient lying in his bed in Gaza’s largest hospital. “I can’t get out of bed because of the pain. We want a solution: open the crossings.”
His words capture the reality faced by thousands of cancer patients across the Strip, where access to specialized care has collapsed and evacuation for treatment abroad remains out of reach for many.
Local health organizations warn that around 11,000 patients are currently deprived of specialist or diagnostic cancer treatment within Gaza.
Some 4,000 patients who received medical referrals to hospitals outside the Strip have been waiting to travel for more than two years.
PakGazette He visited Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City and documented the dire conditions within its oncology department. Patients crowd hallways and rooms, waiting for consultations or treatments that are no longer available.
Essential medicines and equipment are in short supply, while many patients suffer from chronic pain that barely allows them to move.
A man cares for his brother, a cancer patient, at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
‘Two or three patients die every day’
Abu Foul leafs through his medical transfer documents, issued long ago for treatment outside Gaza. He hasn’t been able to travel for more than two years.
“The health situation in the Gaza Strip is in ruins,” he says. “There is no treatment or medicine, and we are dying. Every day, two or three patients die here inside this hospital. I can’t get out of bed because of the pain.”
Ask for help directly. “We want a solution. Open the crossings properly so that God frees us from this suffering. Everyone will be held accountable.”
Nearby, Mohamed Hammou cares for his elderly mother, who is also battling cancer. She says families are forced to watch their loved ones deteriorate without care.
We want a solution. Open the crossroads wide so that God frees us from this suffering – Abu Foul
“This is how we find ourselves facing a patient who is dying, without treatment or medical facilities to help him recover,” he says. “This does not please God nor satisfy the people. We call on Islamic, Arab and international nations to look at the sick with mercy.”
a brother in pain
In another ward, Raed Abu Warda cares for his brother Hamid, whose cancer has worsened after long delays in treatment. What started as a small, benign illness has become a life-threatening condition.
“He has been suffering from cancer for two years,” explains Raed. “He waited all this time for the crossing to open so he could be treated outside. His pain has increased, as you can see.”
He points to a wound that has opened up under his brother’s chin. “The disease has created this wound and his condition is getting worse every day. I am looking at my brother and mourning his condition because of the pain.”
The health situation in the Gaza Strip is deteriorating for those suffering from life-threatening cancers, despite the limited opening of the Rafah crossing.
The number of patients seeking care in Gaza’s oncology departments continues to rise, even as hospitals face severe shortages of medicines, equipment and specialized staff. For newly diagnosed patients, the future is increasingly uncertain.
Evacuations are far below needs
With the limited reopening of the Rafah crossing, the World Health Organization (WHO) supports the evacuation of patients and their companions from Gaza, focusing on ensuring safe transportation. However, the magnitude of the need far exceeds what is currently possible.
All we ask is a way of living.
According to the WHO, more than 18,000 patients, including about 4,000 children, are waiting to be evacuated abroad for medical treatment.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported last week that the Gaza Ministry of Health had recorded more than 1,200 patient deaths as people waited for medical evacuation. Around 4,000 cancer patients remain on critical waiting lists, trapped between closed crossings and a health system stretched beyond its limits.
For patients like Munther Abu Foul, time is running out. “We are dying,” he repeats. “All we ask is a way to live.”
