Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jun 30, 2025

The Palestinian cancer centre that can't take patients

The Palestinian cancer centre that can't take patients

The usually bustling corridors of the cancer unit in East Jerusalem's Augusta Victoria Hospital stand eerily quiet but not because of any drop in Palestinians being diagnosed with the disease.

Instead, the main cancer centre for the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip has been refusing new patients. Some 500 have been turned away since September 2021.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) - which is supposed to fund their medical care - owes the hospital some $72m (£55m; 65m euros). This has left it unable to afford the expensive drugs needed for chemotherapy and other treatments.

"It's the first time in our history that we've been forced to take the decision not to accept new patients," says Dr Fadi al-Atrash, the hospital's deputy CEO.

"We're facing a very critical situation where we might be forced to close some departments in future. We might have to stop the treatment of patients already in our care."

"It means that more people might die of cancer because they're not receiving their treatment on time, or according to the right schedule."

Funding cut


The PA says it is facing the worst financial crisis since it came into existence three decades ago.

Like others around the world, its economy has been hit by Covid and soaring inflation. However, it is also mired in problems linked to the Palestinians' decades-old conflict with Israel.

Israel withholds vital tax revenues it collects on behalf of the PA because of the payments that it makes to Palestinians in Israeli jails and the families of those killed by Israeli forces. Israel argues that these encourage terrorism, while the Palestinians see them as welfare support.

The same thorny issue has led to the US Congress prohibiting direct aid.

Meanwhile, concerns that Palestinian school books glorify violence and promote anti-Semitism have blocked millions of euros from the European Union (EU) - historically, the biggest donor to the PA. Since 2020 most aid has not been handed over.

When it comes to healthcare, it seems that the overall shortage of money is already leading to lives being lost.

Turned away


Earlier this year, Salem al-Nawati, a 16-year-old with leukaemia from Gaza, collapsed at the PA Health Ministry in Ramallah, while his uncle was fighting for him to be given a hospital bed - and was declared dead soon after

Now, back at the family's home, surrounded by Salem's glowing school reports and Taekwondo medals, Jamal al-Nawati details the problems he faced.

Jamal al-Nawati with a letter asking the Palestinian health minister to speed up Salem's treatment


Gaza hospitals are ill-equipped to treat many serious cancer cases and without East Jerusalem as an option, his nephew was given a medical referral and PA financial guarantee to be treated in a private hospital in Nablus.

Israel - which controls access for Gazans to the West Bank - initially refused Salem a travel permit, his family says for security reasons, delaying his exit by a month. By the time he made it to Nablus, the hospital turned him away because its bills had gone unpaid by the PA.

"I was wondering what we'd done wrong, what had this poor patient ever done?" says Mr al-Nawati, recalling his feeling of helplessness.

"Salem's condition was deteriorating hour-by-hour, day-by-day. He was so sad, asking me why he was being refused treatment, and I was doing my best to reassure him."

Eventually, after an influential family friend intervened, PA officials offered to send Salem to an Israeli hospital, but his Israeli permit did not allow him to travel there. And then it was too late.

Fears for the future


Holding signs reading "We want to live", thousands of angry Palestinians have recently been demonstrating against rising prices. As in previous financial squeezes, government workers are now being paid reduced salaries.

Israel has been worried enough by the unrest to loan the PA some $185m to help prop it up, while the Palestinian prime minister brought back $100m from Algiers following visits to Arab countries.

"We're always caught up in international politics" - Dr Fadi al-Atrash


For now, the economy limps on - although international experts I talk to in Jerusalem whisper about how it's "not sustainable in the long-term".

Back at the Augusta Victoria Hospital, Dr Fadi al-Atrash has set aside his white coat for a smart suit, as he holds rounds of talks with donors and foreign diplomats, desperately seeking a solution.

"We're always caught up in international politics," the cancer specialist laments. "As a Palestinian doctor you're frustrated, because you know that if you had the means and resources, you could help your people."

"But you don't have them," he goes on. "And when I see the patients suffering, going without treatment, it's a struggle for me not just as a doctor, but as a human being."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Black Box Recovered from Air India Crash Site
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
×