CAIRO, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Nasser Mohammed, 33, finally lies on a hospital bed in Egypt, receiving treatment for his brain tumor after months of agonizing despair in the war-torn Gaza Strip.
Mohammed's story, however, is not one of relief, but an illustration of the catastrophic state of healthcare in the besieged strip, where months of war between Israel and Hamas has turned hospitals into rubble and access to essential medical care almost impossible.
"Most of the medical effort in Gaza is focused on treating war injuries," Mohammed, who is currently receiving treatment in El Arish General Hospital in Egypt's North Sinai Province, explained in a weak voice. "Especially after most hospitals went out of service."
For patients like him, battling chronic illnesses, cancer, and other life-threatening conditions, the war has become a different kind of enemy -- one that attacks not with bombs, but with the slow, agonizing denial of medical care.
"The most that hospitals in Gaza could provide me was some painkillers," he told Xinhua. "Those were not even always available."
His family, forced to live in tattered tents after their home was destroyed, were denied, by the Israeli army, the right to accompany him to Egypt.
"They live in tents in the bitter cold," Mohammed recounted as his voice cracked with emotion. "I have not been able to communicate with them since I arrived because they do not have internet or electricity."
A total of 33 Israeli hostages and about 2,000 Palestinian detainees are expected to be released during the first phase of the ceasefire, which took effect on Jan. 19 after 15 months of war. As part of the deal, Israel will allow injured and sick Palestinians in Gaza to receive medical treatment in Egypt and other countries.
On Feb. 1, sick and injured individuals from the Gaza Strip started entering Egypt with family members accompanying them through the Rafah crossing, the only link between Egypt and the Palestinian enclave. Since May 2024, the Palestinian side of the crossing has been controlled by Israel, which had blocked its operation until the recent ceasefire agreement.
Seven-year-old Hussam al-Aidi made it to El Arish Hospital with his mother, both among the latest group of Gazan patients entering Egypt. His fight for life offers another heart-wrenching hint into healthcare crisis of Gaza, where tens of thousands have been injured during the war.
"He was in Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza," al-Aidi's mother said. "There, he only received treatment for his symptoms, but not for the cancer itself, as chemotherapy is not available in Gaza."
While al-Aidi's condition has slightly improved since arriving in Egypt, his mother's relief is tied up with a profound fear.
"I left my husband in Gaza," she said, with her voice breaking. "All my family is there. War is a difficult thing."
"My home is gone, my husband now lives in a makeshift tent, and the ever-present threat of renewed conflict hangs like a dark cloud over our future," she lamented.
Ahmed Mansour, director of El Arish General Hospital, said all patients coming for treatment have injuries ranging from chronic diseases, cancer, war injuries, and birth defects.
The hospital, constantly operating in a state of emergency, is fully equipped to receive patients, he told Xinhua.
"While some cases are transferred to specialized hospitals, the facility remains prepared for any eventuality in the near future," Mansour added.
He revealed that 1,000 patients and injured Palestinians have been admitted to El Arish General Hospital since the outbreak of the war in October 2023.
According to official statistics, more than 220 injured and sick Palestinians, along with over 300 companions, have crossed the border since the Rafah crossing was reopened after the implementation of the ceasefire deal in January. ■
