Cancer patient dies bringing number of Gaza siege victims to 287

Cancer patient dies bringing number of Gaza siege victims to 287

A Palestinian cancer patient died on Sunday in Gaza after efforts to secure his treatment abroad failed, the PA health ministry in Gaza announced.


It said that 31-year-old Shadi Hillis had all necessary papers that facilitated his travel abroad but due to the siege he died in Gaza where there is no advanced treatment for cancer patients.


The ministry noted in a statement that the number of victims of the siege thus rose to 287 with 12 of them dying in February so far, warning that the number could increase any time due to the presence of tens of patients in intensive care units waiting for opening of crossings especially the Rafah border terminal with Egypt to enable them travel for treatment abroad.


In a related development, Ihab Al-Ghussein, the PA interior ministry spokesman in Gaza, called on the Ramallah government to provide passports for the Gaza Strip to enable those patients to travel for treatment.


He added in a press release on Sunday that more than 200 patients could not travel for lack of passports, and added that the step would be viewed as a goodwill gesture to prepare the atmosphere for the success of the expected Palestinian national dialog in Cairo.