McGovern Leads 61 Congressional Democrats in Demanding Medical Evacuations for Palestinian Cancer Patients

WASHINGTON -Today, Representatives James P. McGovern, Maxine Dexter, Madeleine Dean, Senators Ed Markey and Chris Van Hollen, and 57 of their colleagues sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding the Administration take immediate action to alleviate the humanitarian crisis facing cancer patients in Gaza.

In their letter, the lawmakers called on the Administration to press the Israeli government to reestablish a medical corridor that would allow Palestinian cancer patients in Gaza to obtain life-saving medical care in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. The lawmakers also demanded that the Administration ensure hospitals and medical infrastructure in Gaza are rebuilt and protected.

"Cancer diagnoses have become death sentences in Gaza," wrote the lawmakers in their letter. "It is imperative that the United States and its regional partners urge the Israeli government to reestablish a medical pathway for cancer patients in Gaza to receive life-saving treatment in East Jerusalem and the West Bank."

The letter highlighted a six-year-old boy named Ghazal, who was diagnosed with leukemia and died while waiting for his evacuation request to be approved by the Israeli government. The lawmakers noted that more than 18,500 Palestinians require urgent medical care that is unavailable in Gaza, including approximately 11,000 cancer patients.

The lawmakers provided five recommendations for Administration action:

• Engage the governments of Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye in a coordinated diplomatic effort to secure medical evacuations for pediatric cancer patients and their caregivers from Gaza to appropriate medical facilities in East Jerusalem and the West Bank;

• Facilitate the reestablishment of the medical corridor between Gaza and East Jerusalem and the West Bank for all patients requiring medical evacuation;

• Obtain assurances from the Israeli government that evacuated patients and caregivers will be permitted to return to Gaza once they are able;

• Ensure that Palestinians can rebuild and protect hospitals and medical infrastructure in Gaza; and

• Respond to all questions raised in a November 2025 letter by Senator Markey and Representative Dexter.

The full text of the letter is available here.