Rasha Abu Sbeaka, a Palestinian woman from Gaza, narrowly survived two years of Israel’s military campaign in the region. She endured four bombings and was twice rescued from the rubble following attacks. However, even after the ceasefire, her life remains at risk due to the lingering effects of the war.
Abu Sbeaka was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer during the conflict. The destruction of Gaza’s medical infrastructure, combined with the continued closure of border crossings that would allow her to seek treatment abroad, has left her without access to the urgent care she needs. She often feels that she is “going to die,” she said. “I used to hug and kiss my children every day because I thought I was on my deathbed.”
Alongside fellow Palestinian Mervat Sarhan, who was recently released after months in Israeli detention, Abu Sbeaka shared her story with Al Jazeera. She described the immense challenges Palestinians face in coping with the devastation caused by the war, even after the ceasefire. “I want the world to know our story,” she said.
Speaking from the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, Abu Sbeaka explained that her health has been severely affected by the conflict. She believes her cancer was triggered by emissions from the constant bombing and rocket fire. “I often struggle to breathe,” she said. She added that the war has left Gaza’s healthcare system in ruins, making it impossible for her to receive the treatment she urgently requires.
“There is no medical treatment and no alternative treatments because of the war and the closed crossings,” she said. “Everything here is at a standstill.” In addition to the physical toll, her condition has taken a severe psychological toll. “My psychological health has been completely destroyed. I wasn’t like this before. I used to be a person who loved life,” she said.
While some critically ill patients have been evacuated for medical treatment through the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of evacuations—41 on Thursday—is far below the 15,000 patients requiring evacuation, including 3,800 children. Israel has kept the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt closed, despite the ceasefire agreement that called for its reopening. The WHO has urged all border crossings to be opened for aid and medical evacuations, warning that current rates would take a decade to address the backlog.
Abu Sbeaka expressed determination to fight her disease, provided that the crossings are reopened. “We can travel abroad and get the treatment we need to recover quickly,” she said.
In Khan Younis, Mervat Sarhan is working to rebuild her life after nearly five months in Israeli detention. During her time in custody, she endured beatings, electric shocks, and threats against her children. Her ordeal began in May when Israeli forces stormed into her home, disguised as women. They ransacked the house and questioned her about captives, before killing her husband in front of their children.
“They ransacked the house and kept asking questions like ‘Where are you hiding them? Where are the captives?’” Sarhan told Al Jazeera. After being detained, she was subjected to interrogations where she was beaten and shocked. She was eventually sent to Ashkelon prison in Israel, where she was held in a dark, solitary cell for a month.
Sarhan was released under the latest prisoner exchange deal, but she now faces the challenge of rebuilding her life without her husband. Many of the released prisoners showed signs of torture and abuse. Some bodies returned to Gaza appeared to have been blindfolded and executed by Israeli forces. Human rights organizations have long reported cases of torture in Israeli prisons.
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