A Devastating Blow: Cancer Care in Gaza Strip Grinds to a Halt After European Hospital Shutdown
Cancer treatment hospital in Gaza Strip ceases operations. - Cancer hospital in Gaza permanently ceases operations, announced by World Health Organization (WHO)
In a grim turn of events, the last bastion of cancer treatment in the tumultuous Gaza Strip, the European Hospital, ceased operations following an Israeli military attack on May 13, 2025. This calamity has left over a thousand cancer patients high and dry, obviously devastated by the disruption in their treatment.
The WHO (World Health Organization) Director-General, Tedros Adhanom, expressed grave concern over the situation, stating that the hospital was "severely damaged and inaccessible," making it impossible for the staff to continue their life-saving work. Unfortunately, the evacuation process wasn't smooth-sailing either. A near strike hit the evacuation team just before they managed to leave.
In the wake of the European Hospital's closure, the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis now stands as the only functioning clinic in the southern Palestinian territory. Although it continues to operate, it too has faced attacks, making it partially functional and put under immense pressure.
Israel's renewed offensive on the Gaza Strip, following a two-month ceasefire, has escalated since March 18. Furthermore, since March 2, humanitarian aid deliveries to the region have been obstructed by Israel.
The WHO has emphasized the gravity of this situation, highlighting the loss of key services such as neurosurgery, cardiac care, and cancer treatment. Tedros Adhanom has called for an immediate ceasefire, emphasizing the importance of protecting healthcare facilities, which must never be militarized or attacked.
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders has voiced its concern, describing the European Hospital as one of the last remaining lifelines in the shattered health system of the Gaza Strip. Now, the onus is on the international community to take swift action and address this critical humanitarian crisis.
Who will now operate the vital cancer treatment for over a thousand patients in the Gaza Strip, as the European Hospital, severely damaged and inaccessible, can no longer function?
In science and medical-conditions commentary, Tedros Adhanom, the WHO Director-General, has made it clear: the targeting of healthcare facilities, such as the European Hospital in Gaza, must cease, without delay, as these centers are crucial for maintaining general news like the health of civilians amid war-and-conflicts.
As multiple essential services are slowly disappearing in Gaza, the world watches and waits—hopeful that soon, someone, somehow, will offer a solution for the cancer-stricken patients in Gaza, for who their only refuge, the European Hospital, has closed its doors.
){kind=link}