The Institute of Cancer and Crisis (ICC) shared on LinkedIn:

”When political control, conflict and fractured governance collide, how do oncology systems break down and how can they be rebuilt?

We highly recommend diving into this essential Policy and Practice Review:

“Occupation and Oncology: Cancer Care in Palestine” recently published in Frontiers in Oncology.

Rather than treating conflict as a uniform determinant of health outcomes, the authors examine how prolonged occupation, restricted mobility, fiscal constraints, and limited health sovereignty interact to shape cancer care. Using Palestine as a case study alongside historical and regional comparators (including Japan, West Germany, East Timor, and Israel), the review sheds light on critical vulnerabilities:

The total absence of radiotherapy in the Gaza Strip and its severe limits in the West Bank
Deep reliance on permit-mediated referrals to East Jerusalem and regional centers
The catastrophic collapse of oncology access and acute medicine shortages.

Crucially, the manuscript moves beyond documenting failures to outline practical, life-saving solutions, ranging from protected oncology referral corridors and companion-supported medical evacuations to audited financing and rights-based monitoring.

Congratulations to the authors for this vital contribution to global health equity and humanitarian law: Layth Mula-Hussain, Zahi Abdul-Sater, Caroline Samaha Jabbour, Fadi MIzyed, Hibah O. Gevorg Tamamyan, Shada Wadi-Ramahi, Jemma Arakelyan, Khamis Elessi, Asem Mansour and Richard Sullivan.

What steps do you believe are most urgent to safeguard cancer care in active conflict zones? Share your thoughts below. ”

Title: Occupation and Oncology: Cancer Care in Palestine

Authors: Layth Mula-Hussain, Zahi Abdul-Sater, Caroline Samaha Jabbour, Fadi Atrash, Hibah Osman, Gevorg Tamamyan, Shada Wadi-Ramahi, Jemma Arakelyan, Khamis Elessi, Asem H Mansour, Richard Sullivan.

Full review

ICC