Gaza resident dies of cancer amid blockade and stalled medical evacuations
Suhaila al-Mabhouh returned to her damaged home in Jabalia after a ceasefire, but the ongoing blockade prevented her from receiving cancer treatment, leading to her death.
When the ceasefire took effect in October 2025, Suhaila al-Mabhouh, 60, and her husband Sami al-Mabhouh, 62, hurried back to their home in Jabalia refugee camp and began repairing the war-damaged house. Four months later her health sharply declined; after multiple hospital visits in Gaza City and a difficult journey to a private facility in Deir al-Balah, doctors diagnosed her with liver cancer. The couple faced high costs for examinations and a severely limited medical infrastructure, with only a handful of ICU beds and dwindling dialysis capacity.
A medical referral for treatment abroad was finally obtained, but she joined more than 20,000 other patients awaiting Israeli clearance to exit Gaza. Unable to receive timely care, she passed away while still waiting for evacuation. Her case reflects a broader pattern of thousands of preventable deaths linked to the blockade and the minimal increase in medical capacity since the ceasefire.
Why it matters
The story highlights how the Gaza blockade hampers life-saving medical care, contributing to preventable deaths.
How this story developed
- Sep 1 EU debates ban on settlement products as Israeli forces raze West Bank homes
- Sep 17 A year after the October ceasefire, Israeli evacuation orders and ongoing attacks have kept Palestinians in Gaza displaced, with thousands killed, wounded and facing severe food insecurity.
- Sep 18 The UN rights office issued a warning that the displacement of over 33,000 refugees from West Bank camps may amount to crimes against humanity.
- Sep 23 A man in his forties was seriously wounded when a vehicle rammed a police car at a checkpoint near Modi'in on the road to the West Bank.
- Sep 23 The checkpoint’s security personnel have been reinforced and an investigation launched.
- Sep 28 A six‑storey apartment block collapsed, killing 21 people and prompting a lengthy rescue effort.
- Sep 28 Ed Miliband told the Labour conference that the UK will act on Palestine, backing sanctions on Israeli settlements and supporting a two-state solution.
- Sep 29 Three teenagers were arrested in connection with the raid.
- Oct 3 Miliband pledged comprehensive sanctions and a ban on imports and services that support Israeli settlements.
- Oct 5 Labour MP Emily Thornberry called on Britain to defy Israel’s directive to close its consulate in East Jerusalem, calling the move illegal retaliation.
- Oct 6 Powell’s talks concluded without an agreement before the 30‑day deadline.
- Oct 8 Consular staff removed the plaque and signage after the closure deadline passed.
- Oct 10 Israeli forces issued new evacuation orders for multiple Gaza neighborhoods.
- Oct 10 The consulate was officially renamed the UK Mission, Jerusalem and its staff was reduced to seven.
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