Gaza: The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) said it is deeply alarmed by the Israeli occupation forces' move to enforce a death sentence against cancer and renal failure patients in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement on Sunday, PCHR said it is extremely apprehensive over the unprecedented worsening of patients' situation in Gaza due to the fallout from the Israeli military aggression and the persistent blockade imposed for over 19 years.
The occupation authorities deliberately block the flow of medicines, medical essentials, and spare parts for critical medical equipment into the enclave, along with imposing tight restrictions on patients' travel abroad for treatment, the statement continued.
The statement added that this reality undoubtedly confirms that Israel engages in a policy of slow killing against thousands of patients by intentionally depriving them of their rights to life and treatment, turning their suffering into a vehicle of harsh collective punishment.
The center cited medical sources reporting that there are approximately 12,500 cancer patients in the Gaza Strip, including toddlers, noting that female patients represent 52 percent of the total.
The shortage of diagnostic equipment and the inoperational status of most examination and imaging departments has resulted in the diagnosis of no more than 1,000 patients, while it is estimated that approximately 3,000 other patients remain undiagnosed and face the risk of disease progression without medical care, presaging a silent health catastrophe that threatens their lives, the statement warned.
The statement further noted that the interruption of chemotherapy and targeted cancer treatments since October 2023 has caused the death of no fewer than 615 cancer patients since the onset of the onslaught on Gaza, including 179 cases in the first quarter of 2025 alone, due to medication shortages or forced treatment stoppages.
According to the statement, roughly 700 renal failure patients are at risk of death as a substantial number of dialysis centers have stopped functioning due to fuel depletion and shortages of filters and medical solutions.
The center held the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for this reality and entreated the international community to act effectively to ramp up pressure on the occupation authorities to stop using patients as a vehicle for collective punishment.
