The only hospital in the Gaza Strip that treats cancer patients has reportedly gone out of service Wednesday after running out of fuel.
The development surrounding the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital now means 16 out of the 35 hospitals in Gaza are not operating, Reuters is reporting, citing Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila.
“The lives of 70 cancer patients inside the hospital are seriously threatened,” she was quoted by the news agency as saying. “The number of cancer patients in the Gaza Strip is about 2,000 living in catastrophic health conditions as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Strip and the displacement of a large number.”
The hospital’s director, Subhi Skaik, also said “We tell the world don’t leave cancer patients to a certain death due to the hospital being out of service,” according to Reuters.
LIVE UPDATES: ISRAEL AT WAR WITH HAMAS
A man sits on the rubble as others wander among debris of buildings that were targeted by Israeli airstrikes in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday. (AP/Abed Khaled)
Since the war between Israel and Hamas began on Oct. 7, as many as 9,900 people have been killed on both sides, including at least 1,400 Israeli civilians and soldiers and 35 Americans.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry claims 8,525 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and 111 in the West Bank.
There is also a desperate push to get humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, but Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted to lawmakers Tuesday that “we have to anticipate” some of it will end in the hands of Hamas.
FLORIDA DOCTOR TREATING IDF SOLDIERS AFTER WAR BROKE OUT DURING FAMILY VACATION
Ambulances with Palestinians wounded in Israel’s airstrikes on the Gaza Strip arrive at Rafah border crossing to Egypt on Wednesday. (AP/Fatima Shbair)
Blinken made the remark in front of the Senate Appropriations Committee as he said the U.S. is trying to coordinate 100 trucks of aid per day into the conflict zone this week, arguing that it is the “bare minimum of what is needed.”
Blinken said so far, the U.S. has gotten up to 50 trucks of aid per day into the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
Trucks with humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip enter from Egypt on Saturday, Oct. 21. (AP/Fatima Shbair)
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“Before the conflict in Gaza, before Hamas’ aggression against Israel and its response, the U.N. and other agencies and other organizations providing relief were sending in between 500 and 800 hundred trucks a day,” he said. “Right now, we’re up to almost 60. We’re trying to get to 100 this week.”
Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
