A Setback in Cancer Care: Gaza's Last Specialist Hospital Halted due to Attack
Hospital ceasing cancer treatment services in Gaza Strip temporarily halts operations - Cancer hospital in Gaza significantly shutdown by WHO announcement
Here's the lowdown on the recent turn of events in the Gaza Strip:
Following a Tuesday assault by the Israeli forces, the clinic has taken a severe blow. As per WHO Director, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the clinic is now severely damaged and inaccessible. A WHO team managed to evacuate the remaining staff, but they were not spared getting caught in the crossfire. A strike struck dangerously close to the evacuation mission right before it. Tedros vigorously appealed for the protection of healthcare facilities in the battlefield, stating, "They must never be militarized or attacked."
Doctors Without Borders also brought attention to the consequences of the closure of the European Hospital. In their words, "This was one of the last remaining beacons of hope in the shattered health system of the Gaza Strip." Currently, the Nasser Hospital is the sole operational clinic in Khan Yunis, the southern Palestinian territory. However, it too has suffered an attack, marking the second time in less than two months. This attack took place just hours before the assault on the European Hospital.
The Israeli offensive was reignited on March 18, nearly two months after a temporary ceasefire. Early in May, the Israeli security council approved the escalation of the aggression and adopted a plan for the "conquest" of the Gaza Strip. Since March 2, Israel has been obstructing humanitarian aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip as well.
The Gaza European Hospital, the last facility administering cancer treatment in the Gaza Strip, was forced to close its doors after enduring a brutal Israeli attack on May 13, 2025.[1][3][5] This unfortunate turn of events has halted crucial services such as neurosurgery, cardiac care, and cancer treatment.[3][4]
The WHO team had to evacuate emergency medical staff from the damaged hospital, and the facility is now inaccessible.[3] The situation is dire—the Nasser Medical Complex is currently the only public hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, but it too suffered an attack concurrently with the European Hospital for the second time in less than two months.[1][3] The lack of chemotherapy drugs and electricity for radiation equipment worsens the crisis, making cancer treatment impossible for over 1,000 patients.[2]
Tedros strong-armed the need for an immediate ceasefire to tackle the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.[3] The closure of the last cancer hospital has further burdened the already strained healthcare system, with cancer treatment services now nowhere to be found elsewhere in Gaza.[3][4]
Who is appealing for the protection of healthcare facilities in Gaza amidst the ongoing conflicts? Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director of the World Health Organization.In the arena of general news and war and conflicts, Gaza's last specialist hospital for cancer treatment, the European Hospital, was forced to close due to an attack, leaving over 1,000 patients without access to chemotherapy and radiation equipment.The closure of the European Hospital and the attack on the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis have further strained the already fragile health-and-wellness system in the Gaza Strip, with no alternative options available for cancer treatment.Science and medical-conditions experts worldwide are expressing concerns over the lack of cancer treatment facilities in Gaza, particularly in light of the current political climate and ongoing war and conflicts.
