Gaza, January 7, 2026 (WAFA) – Hussein Nazir Al-Sinwar
Cancer has spread in an unprecedented manner in the Gaza Strip during the last two years, as it has ravaged the bodies of thousands of citizens amid the absence of treatment and health care, due to the Israeli occupation’s aggression that destroyed hospitals and put many of them out of service, leaving patients to struggle with death without medical follow-up or beds, while the targeting also affected medical teams.
Citizen Mahmoud Saeed, who was diagnosed with rectal cancer before the war, said that he was scheduled to begin chemotherapy and surgical treatment sessions on October 8, 2023 at the Turkish hospital, but the aggression disrupted his treatment journey.
He added that a year ago he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had it removed, and he still lives on bags for excretion of feces and urine, hoping to obtain a treatment referral outside the sector or to undergo surgery that would enable him to live a normal life .
Samar al-Halabi, a resident who has been battling breast cancer since the beginning of the offensive, explained that the displacement, living in tents, and the targeting of hospitals and medical personnel have exacerbated her condition, pushing her disease to stage four. She noted the difficulty in obtaining pain medication and the lack of transportation, which increases her suffering with each treatment trip, forcing her to travel between different cities in the Gaza Strip and incurring costs of 160 shekels per trip .
Citizen Umm Muhammad Al-Najjar, who suffers from colon and breast cancer, reported that treatment within the sector has become almost impossible due to the shortage of medicines and equipment, and she called for an external treatment referral to complete the necessary chemotherapy and radiation therapy sessions to prevent the spread of the disease .
For his part, Dr. Mohammed Abu Nada, Medical Director of the Gaza Cancer Center, stated that the most significant challenge facing patients is the collapse of the diagnostic and treatment system due to Israeli bombing of specialized hospitals, including the Turkish Friendship Hospital, the Gaza European Hospital, and the Abdul Aziz al-Rantisi Hospital. He added that early detection equipment, including mammography and MRI machines, has been destroyed or rendered inoperable due to shortages of electricity and fuel, negatively impacting the diagnosis and follow-up of cases .
Abu Nada pointed out that there is a severe shortage of chemotherapy drugs and specialized painkillers, as only 30% of the required quantities are available, in addition to a shortage of medical personnel after they were targeted during the war and some fled outside the sector, which has negatively affected the health care system .
He revealed that the number of cancer patients is increasing significantly, partly due to environmental factors and the toxicity resulting from the bombing, which exacerbated existing cases and led to the spread of the disease. He added that the Gaza Cancer Center is operating at very limited capacity at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis and Al-Helou Hospital in Gaza, while the demand for treatment referrals outside the Gaza Strip continues .
According to the latest statistics up to the end of December 2025, there are approximately 12,500 cancer patients in the Gaza Strip of various age groups, and more than 2,000 new cases are diagnosed annually, including 122 children, according to World Health Organization reports.
The report indicated that approximately 3,000 patients faced significant delays in diagnosis, while only 1,000 patients were able to obtain an accurate diagnosis .
Due to shortages of medical equipment and services, intravenous chemotherapy and follow-up care have been suspended since the end of May 2025, and specialized hospitals have completely ceased operations, leaving thousands of patients without treatment. Sources add that the occupation forces impose strict restrictions on patients leaving the Gaza Strip for treatment, despite the fact that approximately 17,000 patients require referrals, and only about 1,100 have been permitted to leave .
Sources reported that 436 cancer patients have died since October 7, 2023, as a result of a lack of treatment and the inability to access health services, with specialized clinics and hospitals such as the Gaza European Hospital, the Gaza Cancer Center, the Turkish Friendship Hospital, and Abdul Aziz al-Rantisi Hospital ceasing operations .
Abu Nada stressed the need to rebuild the destroyed hospitals, open the crossings to allow patients to receive the necessary treatment, and bring in medicines and medical supplies, stressing that the health situation in Gaza is facing a near-total collapse, and that preventing patients from leaving the country is tantamount to “slow killing” of thousands of cancer patients .
—
E.R.
About the Author
