Washington: More than 60 US lawmakers have called on the Trump administration to help restore a medical corridor for cancer patients in Gaza, arguing that critically ill Palestinians are being denied access to life-saving treatment outside the territory.
In a letter sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday, June 11, members of Congress urged the United States and its regional partners to press for the re-establishment of a medical pathway allowing patients from Gaza to receive treatment in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.
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The appeal focused on the plight of cancer patients, with lawmakers stating that more than 18,500 Palestinians currently require urgent medical care unavailable in Gaza, including around 11,000 people with cancer.
The letter highlighted the case of Ghazal, a six-year-old boy diagnosed with leukaemia whose family sought approval for medical evacuation. Lawmakers said the authorisation never came and the child died after waiting months for treatment.
Representative James P McGovern, who led the initiative, cited Ghazal’s case in a social media post, saying it illustrated the consequences of restricted access to specialised healthcare for patients in Gaza.
A six-year-old Palestinian boy with leukemia died while waiting for the Netanyahu government to approve his medical evacuation request. His name was Ghazal.In Gaza, no hospital is fully functional and Israeli approval is required to leave. A cancer diagnosis is a death…— Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) June 11, 2026
According to the lawmakers, 94 pe cent of Gaza’s hospitals have been damaged or destroyed, severely limiting access to healthcare. They noted that the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, Gaza’s only specialised cancer treatment facility, became inoperative during the war and was later destroyed.
The lawmakers said cancer diagnoses have become increasingly difficult to treat as access to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, diagnostic services and specialised surgery has sharply declined. They added that doctors in Gaza estimate cancer-related deaths have tripled since October 2023.
While some patients have been transferred to third countries for treatment, the letter argued that the existing system has failed to meet growing medical needs. Lawmakers also cited reports that more than 1,200 people have died while waiting for medical evacuation approvals.
The lawmakers said hospitals in East Jerusalem and the West Bank have the capacity to treat many of Gaza’s cancer patients, including children. They specifically pointed to Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem, which provides specialised oncology and radiation treatment services for Palestinians.
Among their recommendations, the lawmakers urged the administration to work with Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye to facilitate medical evacuations for paediatric cancer patients and their caregivers. They also called for the restoration of a medical referral corridor that operated before the war and for support to rebuild and protect Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure.
The appeal comes amid continuing international concern over access to healthcare in Gaza and the challenges faced by thousands of patients requiring specialised treatment unavailable within the territory.
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