In addition, of the 350,000 patients in Gaza, at least 9,000 have some type of cancer (principally breast, liver or lung cancer) and are now no longer able to receive treatment. Before the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, around 2,000 cancer patients traveled to the West Bank, Jerusalem and other parts of Israel to receive chemo or radiotherapy, which is not available in Gaza. These patients can no longer leave.
The rest of the cancer patients in Gaza went to the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, the only specialized center in the enclave. On October 17, the hospital’s general director, Dr. Sobhi Sikk, announced that they had to suspend “a large part of their services” and that the center would close within two days. A week later, the WHO Middle East Office (EMRO) confirmed that the hospital was operating “partially” due to the lack of fuel.