Full Breakdown
Congressional Letter Calls for Medical Corridor for Gaza Cancer Patients
6/13/2026, 11:07:12 PM
Collapse of Gaza’s Health System
Since the October 2023 Israeli offensive, WHO says 94 % of Gaza’s hospitals are damaged or destroyed, including the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, the only cancer center. UN estimates about 11 000 cancer patients remain, while the blockade limits medicines and aid. The loss of oncology services forces patients to seek chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery elsewhere, which is currently impossible.
Lawmakers and Advocacy Partners
Representative James P. McGovern, Senators Ed Markey, Chris Van Hollen, Bernie Sanders, and Representatives Madeleine Dean, Maxine Dexter, Greg Casar led the appeal, signed by 51 House members and 11 senators. DAWN’s Deyar Jamil and Raed Jarrar helped draft the letter.
Humanitarian Scale
Around 11 000 cancer patients, over 18 500 needing urgent care, and at least 1 200 deaths while awaiting evacuation illustrate the crisis.
Letter’s Demands
Lawmakers urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to press Israel to re-establish a medical corridor to West Bank and East Jerusalem hospitals such as Augusta Victoria and the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches, to guarantee patients’ return, protect rebuilt facilities, and engage Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye. The appeal also asks that rebuilt hospitals be shielded from future attacks.
Opposition to Israeli Restrictions
Signatories say Israel’s refusal breaches the October 2025 U.S.–brokered ceasefire and reflects a pattern of rights violations. DAWN calls the policy “cruelty” enabled by U.S. political cover.
Ghazal’s Story
Six-year-old Ghazal, with leukemia, waited two months for an evacuation permit that never arrived and died in Gaza.
Conflicting Figures & Gaps
UN cites “at least 1 200” deaths awaiting evacuation; other reports say “over 1 200.” No Israeli or U.S. State Department response is recorded.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Cancer diagnoses have become death sentences in Gaza,” — Representative James P. McGovern
- “There is no conceivable reason that allowing kids with cancer to drive 40 minutes for lifesaving medical treatment should be controversial.” — Deyar Jamil, fellow, DAWN
- “Urging immediate action, the letter states that the only obstacle between these patients and the treatment they desperately need is the Israeli government’s approval of their evacuation requests.” — Congressional letter
- “Depriving kids of access to treatment is only part of the story–through bombing, shooting, starving, forcibly displacing, and withholding medicine and aid, Israel is killing Palestinian kids everyday.” — Raed Jarrar, DAWN advocacy director
What’s Next: Diplomatic and Legal Actions
The letter urges the Trump administration to mobilize Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye for a coordinated evacuation plan. DAWN backs the lawsuit *Gaza v. Rubio*, challenging the State Department’s alleged “Israel exception” to the Leahy Law. A ruling on the motion to dismiss is expected later in 2026 and could shape U.S. policy on aid and medical access.
