GAZA CITY: Israel has demolished Gaza’s only specialised cancer treatment hospital, the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, along with an adjacent medical school, sparking condemnation from international bodies and human rights groups.
Footage shared on social media on Friday showed a massive explosion engulfing the hospital in central Gaza, which had already been severely damaged by Israeli airstrikes since October 2023.
The Israeli military confirmed the demolition, claiming the hospital had been used by Hamas. However, no evidence was provided to support the claim.
The Turkish government, which funded the hospital’s construction with a $34 million donation in 2017, condemned the attack as a deliberate attempt to render Gaza uninhabitable.
Cancer patients left without treatment
The hospital’s destruction has left thousands of patients without access to cancer treatment. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, the facility was accredited to treat up to 30,000 cancer patients annually.
The hospital was forced to shut down on 1 November 2023 due to fuel shortages, with the United Nations warning that the lives of 70 patients were at immediate risk. Four patients later died due to lack of medical care, according to the Health Ministry.
Dr Zaki Al-Zaqzouq, head of the hospital’s oncology department, said a medical team had inspected the hospital during the recent ceasefire and found that, despite previous damage, parts of the facility were still functional.
The United Nations denounced the attack, with UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq stating: “All attacks against medical infrastructure by any of the parties is a violation of international humanitarian law, and we stand opposed to this.”
Haq further noted that all hospitals in Gaza had sustained some level of damage during the ongoing war, describing the situation as “intolerable” for the civilian population.
Israeli offensive intensifies amid ceasefire talks
Israel’s latest offensive in Gaza has escalated following the breakdown of a ceasefire with Hamas earlier this week.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant vowed that Israeli operations would continue with “increasing intensity” until Hamas releases the remaining hostages.
“The more Hamas continues its refusal to release the kidnapped, the more territory it will lose to Israel,” Gallant said on Friday.
Hamas has said it is considering a ceasefire proposal from the United States, Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, Germany, France, and Britain have urged Washington to support an immediate restoration of the truce and to push for humanitarian aid to enter the enclave.
