Dozens of female cancer patients in the Gaza Strip have launched a protest against Israel's travel ban, demanding medical treatment outside the Gaza Strip. During protests, the women carried posters demanding that they be allowed to leave for medical treatment in the West Bank and Israel.
They called on the Palestinian government, international and local organizations and the World Health Organization to act without delay.
"Israel rejected 62 percent of the women who wanted to be treated outside Gaza," said Feryal Sabit, director of the Women's Health Center.
Since the enclave's closure was enacted in 2006, the first organized public protest of Gazan patients against Israel's ban was held on January this year, as reported by the Israeli newspaper Hareetz.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 1,500 people are diagnosed with cancer each year in the Israeli blockade of Gaza. As the number of cancer patients significantly rises, Gazans are not allowed to cross into the country to seek medical treatment.
The Gaza Strip has faced deteriorating humanitarian conditions, including a severe electricity crisis and a lack of clean water. The coastal enclave of some 2 million people also has one of the world's highest unemployment rates and has seen three wars with Israel since 2008. It has been under an Israeli blockade for around a decade, while its border with Egypt has also remained largely closed in recent years.
