The Palestine Thalassemia Patients' Friends Association confirmed that the number of thalassemia patients in Palestine has reached 866, according to a statement issued by the association on World Thalassemia Solidarity Day, May 8, 2025. It also noted that 40 thalassemia patients have been martyred in the Gaza Strip since the start of the genocidal war.

The association explained that 30 new births have been recorded since 2020, including 9 patients in the Gaza Strip and 21 patients from the West Bank, 14 of whom are from the northern West Bank. Thus, the number of thalassemia patients in Palestine has reached 866 patients, 570 in the West Bank and 296 in the Gaza Strip, including 42 patients who were transferred under difficult medical conditions to Egypt and other countries, and their condition also required care and follow-up, and 4 patients among them died.

The association confirmed that 70% of patients in the West Bank are young people, 80% of whom are looking for work.

The Thalassemia Patients' Friends Association in Palestine announced that this year's activities will be held under the slogan "Together for Thalassemia - Patients First." The month-long event will highlight the importance of raising awareness about thalassemia, which has become limited in the current emergency situation.

The Thalassemia Patients' Friends Association said: "This May 8th marks the second year in a row, and the cries of our patients in Gaza and all our families there rise to the heavens, complaining to God of an injustice beyond all injustice, a tyranny that has surpassed the heavens, where our patients, like our families in Gaza, are deprived of medicine, food, and water, while the killing machine is being used to slaughter and murder them."

The association explained that forty patients, both male and female, have been martyred to date in Gaza, in extremely tragic and oppressive circumstances, and we...

The association said: "As we commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with them, we renew our pledge and resolve to make every possible effort to alleviate their suffering and deliver medicine and aid to them, exerting every effort to achieve this."

The association emphasized that the World Day of Solidarity with Thalassemia Patients, celebrated annually on May 8, is an occasion to renew our commitment at the Friends of Thalassemia Patients Association and all Palestinian community institutions to continue working to provide better comprehensive health services for our patients and to protect future generations from the dangers of this disease.

The association emphasized that this year's slogan, "Together for Thalassemia - Patients First," emphasizes that thalassemia is not just numbers or statistics; rather, it represents the stories of real people facing real challenges and living unique experiences.

"By adopting a patient-centered approach, we can enhance the well-being of people with thalassemia holistically, beyond simply treating the medical condition," the association said.

The association emphasized its commitment to working with all relevant authorities to provide better comprehensive healthcare services for thalassemia patients and to foster a community that is worthy of their resilience and patience, both to accommodate them and to create job opportunities for them so they can become active members of society and start their own families.

The association emphasized that protecting future generations from the dangers of this disease falls on every member of Palestinian society, especially young people about to get married. This can be achieved by committing to undergoing free laboratory tests conducted by the Ministry of Health directorates, "to ensure our children are protected from the dangers of this disease."