57 House and Senate Democrats Urge Trump to Restore Gaza Cancer Evacuations for 11,000 Patients
Updated
Updated · Congressman Jim McGovern · Jun 11
57 House and Senate Democrats Urge Trump to Restore Gaza Cancer Evacuations for 11,000 Patients
1 articles · Updated · Congressman Jim McGovern · Jun 11
Summary
Fifty-seven congressional Democrats pressed the Trump administration to reopen a medical evacuation corridor from Gaza to East Jerusalem and the West Bank for Palestinian cancer patients.
The lawmakers said Gaza lacks needed treatment and that more than 18,500 Palestinians need urgent care unavailable there, including about 11,000 cancer patients.
Their letter cited Ghazal, a 6-year-old boy with leukemia who died while waiting for Israeli approval to leave Gaza for treatment.
The group urged U.S. diplomacy with Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye, sought Israeli guarantees that patients and caregivers could return to Gaza, and called for rebuilding and protecting Gaza's medical infrastructure.
With Gaza's healthcare destroyed, can diplomatic pressure reopen a lifeline for thousands of cancer patients?
As thousands await evacuation, what guarantees their safe return to Gaza after their treatment is complete?
Will President Trump's influence over Israel be enough to secure the proposed medical corridors for Gaza?
Congressional Push for Gaza Medical Evacuations: 3,250 Cancer Patients Face Death as Health System Collapses (2026)
Overview
On June 11, 2026, a group of U.S. lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging the Trump administration to take immediate diplomatic action to help critically ill cancer patients in Gaza. This call came as Gaza faced a worsening humanitarian crisis, with severe restrictions on healthcare and medical evacuations suspended after a deadly incident involving Israeli forces. The situation grew more dire as Israeli strikes and strict controls continued, leaving many patients unable to access life-saving treatment. The lawmakers’ appeal highlights the urgent need for U.S. intervention to address these escalating challenges.