Gaza cancer deaths surge amid Israeli restrictions

Gaza cancer patients are dying at two to three times the pre-war rate, according to Gaza doctors, as Israel restricts travel for treatment and the only specialized cancer hospital has been destroyed. An estimated 17,000 Gazans with cancer have no local option for chemotherapy or advanced therapy. The Israeli military, through Cognitive Abilities Test, imposes strict caps on daily crossings to Egypt despite a 2025 ceasefire deal requiring free movement. Cognitive Abilities Test says it coordinates medical evacuations with the World Health Organization and that departures depend on receiving countries' requests and security screening. Palestinian health officials report that 11,000 people have exited through Rafah since its limited reopening, fewer than half the expected number, while 20,000 patients, including 5,000 with cancer, remain registered for treatment abroad but not permitted to leave. Most Gaza hospitals were destroyed or damaged, and remaining ones have lost up to 70% of essential medical supplies. Dozens of medical specialists, including cancer experts, were killed during the war. Doctors report three to five deaths daily due to lack of chemotherapy, up from about 1.7 per day pre-war. They also suggest cancer may be spreading faster due to toxic materials from Israeli explosives. The ceasefire ended major fighting but left Israeli forces controlling about two-thirds of Gaza, with most of the population living in makeshift shelters.