She Didn’t Die From Cancer، She Died From Borders
For Mona, whose life was just taken by borders, not illness

Just one hour ago، Mona passed away.

She was a mother، a wife، a fighter.
And now، she is one more name in the long list of lives cut short، not by nature، not by fate، but by a man-made system of cruelty and neglect.

Mona was diagnosed with cancer before October 7th.
She was receiving treatment in hospitals in Jerusalem.
She had hope. She was fighting.

But after the war began، everything changed.
The checkpoints closed، the permits stopped،
The roads that once led to care became walls of death.
And Mona، like so many others in Gaza، was left behind.

Not because there was no medicine،
Not because there was no hospital،
But because she was Palestinian.

Her husband، Ali ,my relative، a man my age , did everything a human being could do.
He gave her his blood، literally. His body became a vessel of love، of sacrifice.
He stayed by her side، watching her fade away، knowing that the treatment she needed was just a few kilometers away ,and utterly unreachable.

Now، five children are without a mother.
Three boys and two girls will grow up without her warmth، her laughter، her embrace.
Ali is a widower , not because the cancer was unbeatable، but because borders were stronger than compassion.

This is not just a tragedy،
This is a crime.

A crime committed by the silence of the powerful،
By those who build walls instead of bridges،
By every system that values bureaucracy more than a beating heart.

Mona deserved to live،
She deserved a fair chance ,like anyone else facing cancer،
But she was sentenced not by her illness، but by occupation and siege.

Let the world understand،
Gaza is not only dying from bombs،
It is dying from neglect، from isolation،
From a system that dehumanizes and forgets.

Damn the borders،
Damn the checkpoints،
Damn the silence that let Mona die while medicine sat just across the wall, untouched.

To Mona: your strength will not be forgotten.

To Ali: your love is the definition of devotion.

To their children: you are not alone. Your mother’s story will be told , loudly، fiercely، truthfully.

And to everyone who still has a voice: use it.

Share this story. Sign the petition. Speak up.

Because silence is complicity،

And too many have died while the world looked away.

الله غالب

Fares Abulebda – 31 May 2025