Gaza City Updates

The World Health Organization reported on Thursday that the only remaining hospital in Gaza is now providing limited services for cancer and heart patients.

UN Health Organization Chief Tedros Adhanom Gebrees mentioned that the recent attacks have severely impacted the European hospitals in Khan Yunis, rendering them “damaged and inaccessible.”

He stated that the facility “is no longer functional,” noting that WHO evacuated emergency medical personnel who had been operating amidst the chaos.

“A strike occurred nearby just before the evacuation mission,” Tedros explained, further stating that the staff were relocated to the Nasser Medical Complex.

“The closure of the hospital has hindered essential services like neurosurgery, cardiac care, and cancer treatment—none of which can be found elsewhere in Gaza,” he added.

Tedros also remarked that shutting down the hospital has diminished its role as a crucial hub for medical evacuations, placing even more pressure on the already strained healthcare system.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has also pointed out the significant impact of this closure. A representative described it as “one of the last remaining lifelines in Gaza’s overwhelmed healthcare system,” noting that Nasser Hospital is now the only operational facility in Khan Yunis, located in southern Gaza.

The recent attacks have damaged Nasser Hospital, marking it as the second European hospital hit in just a couple of months, shortly before the Gaza European Hospital faced similar circumstances.

MSF reported that the other available hospitals in the territory are “barely functional and constantly overwhelmed.” They highlighted the repeated strikes on healthcare facilities as clear examples of violations by Israeli authorities.

Tedros emphasized that “hospitals must be safeguarded.” He insisted that they should never be used for military purposes or targeted and called for a ceasefire.