Statement of Support for the Work of Augusta Victoria Hospital in Treating Children with Cancer from Gaza
December 17, 2025
We, the Patriarchs and Head of the Churches Jerusalem, respectfully request from the relevant Israeli authorities permits to allow children in Gaza who have been diagnosed with leukemia to travel to the Augusta Victoria Hospital on the Mount of Olives to receive specialized treatment that is only available to them there.
Augusta Victoria is prepared to arrange for not only the transportation, but also the full care and treatment of these young and vulnerable patients, who will then be returned by the hospital to their homes in Gaza at the end of their treatment.
We make this appeal on humanitarian grounds. The treatment for this disease is not available in Gaza, and it has the potential to transform the lives of those afflicted with it. There will be no burden on the government for any cost, since it will all be borne by the hospital.
We urge permission for the treatment of these young patients to be granted as soon as possible. As with any disease, the swift delivery of treatment is essential for a good outcome. We therefore hope very much that the responsible authorities will see fit that these patients receive the medically necessary care that the excellent facilities of Augusta Victoria Hospital can provide, in order that these children can begin their journeys to recovery and health.
—The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem
