Israeli occupation destroyed the only specialised cancer hospital in Gaza

GAZA, Mar.22, (ST)-Israeli occupation forces advanced deeper into the Gaza Strip and blew up the only specialised cancer hospital in the war-torn territory, according to agencies.

The hospital was located in the Netzarim Corridor, which splits Gaza in two and was controlled by Israeli occupation for most of the 17-month-long war.

Israel moved to retake the corridor this week shortly after breaking the ceasefire with Hamas. The truce delivered relative calm to Gaza since late January and facilitated the release of more than two dozen hostages.

Dr Zaki Al-Zaqzouq, head of the hospital’s oncology department, said a medical team visited the facility during the ceasefire and found that, while it had suffered damage, some facilities remained in good condition.

“I cannot fathom what could be gained from bombing a hospital that served as a lifeline for so many patients,” he said in a statement issued by the aid group Medical Aid for Palestinians.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the hospital’s destruction and accused Israel of deliberately “rendering Gaza uninhabitable and forcibly displacing the Palestinian people”.

Compiled by: Basma Qaddour