Crippled Cancer Care: What's Happening in Gaza Strip's Healthcare System
Cancer care facility in Gaza Strip ceases operations - Cancer facility in Gaza shuts down, leaving no more treatment centers for patients
Here's the scoop: Following a hefty blow from the Israeli army on May 13, 2025, the European Hospital – the last bastion for cancer treatment, neurosurgery, and cardiac care in the Gaza Strip – hit the skids. It's now inaccessible and severely damaged [2][4].
To make matters worse, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has declared this shutdown a dire blow to Gaza's flimsy healthcare system. The European Hospital was KEY for medical evacuations as well [4]. During the attack, evacuation turned chaotic with a strike hitting close to the WHO team [4].
Not just that, the adjacent Nasser Hospital – supported by Médecins Sans Frontières – was also hammered by Israeli strikes on the same day. This marks the second time in less than two months that Nasser Hospital has been targeted, leaving it as the only functioning public hospital in Khan Younis but operating way beyond capacity [2][4].
Médecins Sans Frontières have emphasized that these repeated attacks on healthcare facilities push Gaza towards "unlivability" and intensify the already strained healthcare infrastructure [2][4].
Since March 2, 2025, Israel has clamped down on Gaza, blocking all crossings of food, medical, and humanitarian aid. This has only deepened the humanitarian crisis and limited the availability of essential medical supplies and treatments [2][3]. The combination of the blockade and ongoing hostilities has pushed healthcare, including cancer treatment, right to the brink of oblivion.
So what does this all mean?
- Cancer treatment, among other critical services, is no longer reliable within Gaza [4].
- Nasser Hospital, the only remaining public hospital in Khan Younis, is stretched to its limits [2][4].
- Gaza's healthcare system is crumbling due to the blockade and repeated attacks, severely limiting assistance and medical care [2][3][4].
This situation paints a grim picture for cancer patients and the broader population in Gaza facing a critical healthcare emergency. On the bright side, the WHO and other aid organizations are working hard to keep things from going off the rails. Stay tuned!
References:
[1] European Hospital welcomed HHS Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs Eric Goosby on 24 March 2021, providing a tour of the hospital highlighting its vital role in the Gaza healthcare system. Available at: https://www.who.int/emergencies/solidarity-response/gaza/news/detail/european-hospital-welcomes-hhs-assistant-secretary-for-global-affairs-eric-goosby
[2] Médecins Sans Frontières. (May 17, 2025). Gaza Crisis: MSF provides emergency medical services as health system collapses. Available at: https://www.msf.org/gaza-crisis-msf-provides-emergency-medical-services-as-health-system-collapses
[3] United Nations. (May 14, 2025). Gaza Crisis Update: 60 people killed in renewed violence along Gaza-Israel frontier. Available at: https://www.un.org/unmore/en/2025/05/1646701-gaza-crisis-update-60-people-killed-in-renewed-violence-along-gaza-israel-frontier
[4] World Health Organization. (May 13, 2025). Israeli attacks on Gaza continue to risk further loss of life and exacerbate dire humanitarian situation, says WHO. Available at: https://www.who.int/emergencies/solidarity-response/gaza/news/detail/israeli-attacks-on-gaza-continue-to-risk-further-loss-of-life-and-exacerbate-dire-humanitarian-situation-says-who
- The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has expressed concern about the closure of the European Hospital in Gaza, which was a key facility providing cancer treatment and medical evacuations [4].
- Science and medical developments are crucial in addressing cancer and other medical conditions, but the ongoing war and conflicts in Gaza, coupled with political instability and limited general news coverage, have made it challenging to address these needs effectively [4].
- The general news landscape must pay more attention to the urgent situation in Gaza, particularly the impact of repeated attacks on healthcare facilities like the European Hospital and Nasser Hospital, and the subsequent impact on cancer treatment and overall healthcare infrastructure [4].
