Doctors in Gaza say the death rate among cancer patients has risen sharply since the start of the war, with patients dying at roughly two to three times the prior pace, according to accounts from multiple reports.
They link the increase to travel and treatment curbs and to the destruction of Gaza’s only specialised cancer facility. Israel destroyed the hospital last year, saying troops found a tunnel connected to Hamas beneath it. With that closure, about 17,000 people in Gaza with cancer are left without local options for chemotherapy or other advanced therapies.
Outlets also describe how Israeli control affects attempts to seek care outside Gaza. Reports state that few Palestinians can afford to travel, and those who attempt to do so face heavy restrictions. While the emphasis differs—some focus more on the reported mortality figures and others on the barriers to obtaining treatment—the overall picture presented is that reduced access to timely care is driving worse outcomes for cancer patients in Gaza.
