Gaza's breast cancer patients face immediate mastectomies as doctors plead for end to blockade

What Happened

On 16 April 2025, the non-profit Doctors Against Genocide hosted a virtual call with medical experts who pleaded for international pressure to lift Israel's blockade on Gaza and its ban on critical medical supplies, including chlorine bleach for disinfecting hospitals. Dr Ahmed Shatat, director general of International Cooperation and Planning in Gaza, reported that all seven MRI machines in the Strip are out of service, forcing women with breast cancer to undergo immediate mastectomies as the only viable life-saving option without diagnostic tools or cancer drugs. He noted that only one old cardiac catheterisation machine remains, with no stents available. Dr Munir al-Barsh, head of Gaza's water and environment sector, said water well production is down to one-third of pre-7 October 2023 levels, desalination plants are largely non-functional due to fuel shortages, and even chlorine disinfectant is barred entry by Israel. Vaccination rates have fallen from 96% to 80%, and infectious diseases like scabies, gastroenteritis, and Hepatitis A are surging. The Gaza health ministry stated that 1,700 medical workers have been killed, 38 hospitals wholly or partly destroyed, and nearly 200 ambulances hit since October 2023. Dr Mustafa Barghouti, president of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society, said 73,066 Palestinians have been killed, representing 12.5% of the population and over a quarter of a million killed or injured. Psychiatric consultant Abdullah el-Jamal described a severe mental health crisis, with clinicians themselves traumatised and unable to treat patients. Israel claims 600–800 trucks with clearance enter Gaza daily, but Refugees International says most carry commercial goods, not humanitarian supplies.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The systematic degradation of Gaza's health and water systems, combined with the blockade on essential supplies, constitutes a public health emergency with potential long-term consequences: unchecked infectious disease outbreaks, untreated chronic illnesses, and a traumatised population with no mental health support. The testimony amplifies calls for humanitarian intervention and could add to legal and diplomatic pressure on Israel, as the international community grapples with the humanitarian dimensions of the conflict alongside military and ceasefire dynamics.

Watch For

Monitor whether the UN, WHO, or key states issue formal statements or resolutions in response to these medical pleas; whether Israel eases restrictions on chlorine, stents, or cancer drugs; any updates from the Gaza health ministry on disease mortality; and whether the blockade becomes a focal point in ongoing ceasefire negotiations mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US.