Israel blocks Gaza women from breast cancer treatment | The Electronic Intifada
Khuloud Abu Qamar spoke quietly but her words still shocked. “Israel
is killing me slowly,” she said. “And it is killing my children, too.”
After undergoing surgery for breast cancer last year, Abu Qamar
requires further treatment which she has not been able to receive in
Gaza. She has asked Israel for permission to travel. Her applications
have so far been rejected. Aged 40, she has six children, the youngest
of whom is still a baby.
Her plight is shared by many others in Gaza. Estimates from the local
health ministry indicate that several hundred women with breast cancer
have been obstructed from traveling by Israel so far this year.
Leaving Gaza for treatment is vital as the coastal strip’s hospitals are not properly equipped to provide such services as radiotherapy.
As part of the state’s propaganda, Israel has portrayed
itself as a global leader in cancer treatment and research. To promote
breast cancer awareness in October, the Israeli Air Force painted its warplanes pink.
APA images
