GAZA/ISTANBUL

Cancer patients in the Gaza Strip are struggling to access treatment after the Israeli army destroyed the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital on March 21.

The hospital, built by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency between 2011 and 2017 along the Netzarim Corridor, was Gaza’s primary facility for cancer care. Its destruction has left a critical gap in treatment.

Patients are now forced to rely on the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Yunis, where resources are limited and transportation remains a major challenge.

Limited resources, blocked access

Dr. Musa es-Sabah, the head of the Oncology Department at Gaza European Hospital, told Anadolu: "Currently, the only place where oncology patients in Gaza are receiving treatment is Gaza European Hospital."

He said the hospital lacks chemotherapy drugs and medical equipment, while patients face major difficulties traveling between the north and south of the enclave.

Turkish-Palestinian hospital was key cancer treatment facility

Halid Salih, a patient, told Anadolu: "The Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital was, until the attacks, the most important hospital for cancer patients in Gaza, with its experienced medical staff."

He said the hospital faced issues even before the attacks, including the detention of doctors and nurses by Israel and frequent medication shortages.

Salih expressed fear that Gaza European Hospital might suffer the same fate and said patients now need to travel abroad for treatment, which is impossible due to border closures.

Mother of child patient calls for help

The mother of Samir Hamza Muhammed Usfur said her son was diagnosed with leukemia after suffering a health issue.

"My son has a spleen rupture and thrombocytopenia, and his immune system is at zero. His sister and brother have both died. He is left alone," she said, calling for support from the World Health Organization and the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Hospital targeted in 2nd year of genocide in Gaza

The Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, which had eight connected blocks, four operating rooms, intensive care units, labs and 180 patient rooms, with an area of 33,400 square meters (359,514 square feet), was the only hospital in Gaza with an oncology unit.

Israel has used the facility as a military base during its attacks on Gaza, now in their second year.

Military vehicles were seen inside and around the hospital. While the building’s structure remained intact, the medical equipment was heavily damaged.

On March 21, Israeli forces planted explosives inside the hospital, saying it was being used by the Palestinian group Hamas for military purposes.

Over 50,700 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.