Gaza's Last Cancer Clinic Closes After Israeli Attacks: A Catastrophic Blow to Healthcare Services
Cancer facility in Gaza city is forced to shut down following assaults
Let me get straight to the point: Gaza's already strained healthcare system has taken a massive hit, as the European Hospital, the only facility offering vital cancer treatments and critical care services in the region, has been forced to shut down due to severe damage caused by Israeli strikes. This heartbreaking news comes courtesy of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Israeli forces, claiming they were precision-striking a Hamas command center, had targeted the European Hospital in Khan Yunis on May 13, leaving it in shambles and inoperable [1][2]. The WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, lamented the loss of services like neurosurgery, heart treatment, and cancer care that were no longer available anywhere else in Gaza as a direct consequence of the hospital's closure [1].
It's not just the European Hospital that's been hit—even the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, the only remaining facility in the area, has seen its fair share of attacks. While it's still operational, it's under immense strain, mirroring the broader healthcare crisis afflicting Gaza [1]. The human toll of these attacks is immense, as essential services that were already in short supply have vanished.
Doctors Without Borders has spoken out, highlighting the European Hospital's critical role in the shattered health system of Gaza. They emphasized that such strikes on hospitals violate international law and that these facilities must never be militarized or attacked [1].
The shutdown of the European Hospital comes after a two-month ceasefire, with renewed hostilities erupting on March 18. The Israeli Security Cabinet approved an expansion of the offensive and a "conquest" plan for the Gaza Strip in early May, and since March 2, humanitarian aid deliveries to the region have been blocked [1].
[1] ntv.de, raf/dpa[2] Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) reports and statements[3] Various news sources reporting on the healthcare crisis in Gaza
- The World Health Organization has lamented the loss of essential health services, including cancer care and neurosurgery, due to the closure of Gaza's last cancer clinic, the European Hospital, which was damaged by Israeli strikes.
- The closure of the European Hospital, coupled with attacks on other healthcare facilities in Gaza, has intensified the already critical state of health services in the region, leaving essential services in short supply.
- Doctors Without Borders has condemned the strikes on hospitals like the European Hospital, emphasizing that such attacks violate international law and endanger lives.
- The closure of the European Hospital has occurred during a period of renewed conflict between Israel and Gaza, following a two-month ceasefire, and amidst blocked humanitarian aid deliveries to the region.
