The Crumbling State of Cancer Care in Gaza
Hospital providing cancer care in Gaza Strip ceases functioning - Closure of Final Cancer Hospital in Gaza City
The shuttering of Gaza's European Hospital, the final bulwark for cancer treatment in the strip, has left cancer patients in a precarious position. The hospital's closure, following an Israeli attack on May 13, 2025, has left the hospital severely damaged and, unfortunately, inaccessible[1][4][5]. To add insult to injury, the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, the sole operational clinic in southern Palestinian territory, was also hit within less than two months of the same attack[1][4]. This brutal reality has led to a severe shortage of crucial medical services, including cancer treatment.
The suffering of cancer patients is magnified by the shortages in chemotherapy drugs and radiation equipment power, made worse by the ongoing blockade[2]. Over a thousand cancer patients have seen their life-saving treatments disrupted[2].
WHO and Director-General Tedros Adhanom React
In response to the grim situation, the World Health Organization (WHO) has unequivocally argued for the protection of healthcare facilities in the war zone. WHO's Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has underscored the catastrophic consequences of the hospital's closure for essential services such as neurosurgery, cardiac care, and cancer treatment, which are now nowhere to be found within the strip[4][5].
Tedros has been vocal about his stance, urging an immediate ceasefire and demanding that hospitals never be targeted or transformed into military targets[4]. He further emphasized the dire need to safeguard healthcare facilities in this already strained region, where access to care is limited for many patients[4][5]. The WHO has taken steps to evacuate emergency medical staff from the afflicted area[4].
The ongoing situation in Gaza underscores the urgent need for international intervention to alleviate the humanitarian crisis. With the healthcare system already stretched beyond its limits and numerous patients unable to secure the vital care they need, swift action is crucial[4][5].
Who is urging an immediate ceasefire and demanding that hospitals never be targeted or transformed into military targets in the Gaza Strip? Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), has voiced this concern.
The WHO has taken steps to evacuate emergency medical staff from the afflicted area in Gaza, but where are crucial services like neurosurgery, cardiac care, and cancer treatment now found within the strip? Unfortunately, these services are nowhere to be found as the European Hospital, the last hospital for cancer treatment in the Gaza Strip, has been left severely damaged and inaccessible following an Israeli attack.
The crumbling state of cancer care in Gaza has resulted in a severe shortage of crucial medical services, including cancer treatment, exacerbated by the ongoing blockade. Over a thousand cancer patients have seen their life-saving treatments disrupted as a result.
In response to the grim situation in Gaza, the WHO has unequivocally argued for the protection of healthcare facilities in the war zone. Tedros Adhanom has emphasized the dire need to safeguard these facilities in this already strained region, where access to care is limited for many patients, in accordance with principles of science, medical-conditions, health-and-wellness, war-and-conflicts, politics, and general-news.
