When caught early breast cancer is usually treatable, but in Palestine, a breast cancer diagnosis can mean a death sentence because Israel denies Palestinians the right to life-saving treatment.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Palestinian women and one of the top health concerns. It accounts for 34.3% of all cancer diagnoses among Palestinian women in the Gaza Strip and 32% in the West Bank.
In Gaza, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are rarely available in hospitals due to Israel’s illegal military blockade, which has crushed Gaza's healthcare system. In the West Bank, there are a limited number of treatment centers.
To access breast cancer treatment, Palestinians have to travel to hospitals in Jerusalem, but they can't get there without a permit from Israel, and Israel routinely denies Palestinians permits.
Even Palestinians living in Jerusalem are often denied treatment due to Israel’s racism against Palestinians. There are numerous reports of Israeli doctors refusing to treat Palestinian patients.
Palestinian women are dying of breast cancer at unpreceded rates just because Israel is denying them the critical treatment they need.
In an effort to overcome this brutal disease, Palestinian community health organizations are leading mass breast cancer awareness campaigns and running clinics.
Palestinians have the right to access healthcare in their homeland with dignity.
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