Israel destroys Gaza's only cancer hospital

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International Desk:  Israel has destroyed the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, the only specialized cancer hospital in Gaza. It was the only reliable medical center in Gaza for cancer patients.

The hospital was built with funding from the Turkish government development agency TIKA. Construction began in 2011 and was completed in 2017. Built at a cost of approximately $70 million, the hospital was considered the largest healthcare facility in Gaza, with a total internal area of ​​33,400 square meters. It had the capacity to treat 30,000 cancer patients per year.

On October 30, 2023, an Israeli airstrike hit the third floor of the hospital. The hospital was then closed on November 1 due to a fuel shortage. The United Nations said at the time that at least 70 patients admitted to the hospital were in danger of dying. It was later learned that at least four patients had died due to lack of treatment.

Then, in May 2024, satellite images showed Israeli forces using the hospital as a military base. A video recently circulated on social media showed Israeli troops destroying the entire hospital. Israel later confirmed the incident, claiming that Hamas was using the facility. However, Israel did not provide any evidence.

Turkey condemned the hospital's destruction. The Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the deliberate destruction of a hospital providing healthcare to the general public in Gaza is part of Israel's policy of making Gaza uninhabitable and forcibly displacing Palestinians.

Now that the hospital has been destroyed, thousands of cancer patients in Gaza are facing a medical crisis.

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