TheShoppersWeekly | May 16, 2025 – Gaza
In the span of just two nights, more than 120 people lost their lives in Gaza after a fresh wave of Israeli airstrikes devastated parts of the region. One of the hardest-hit areas was Khan Younis, where 54 people died overnight. But the tragedy didn’t end there — Gaza’s only cancer hospital has now shut down, leaving countless patients without care.
The European Hospital, located in Khan Younis, was the last place in Gaza offering treatment for cancer. Strikes damaged parts of the facility and surrounding roads, making it impossible for staff or patients to access. The hospital is now non-operational.
Hospitals across the strip are overwhelmed. In just 24 hours, 82 bodies were brought in, most from Khan Younis. Medical teams are running out of supplies, space, and electricity. Some are treating patients on the floor, while others can’t reach the wounded at all.
Adding to the crisis, no humanitarian aid has entered Gaza since March 2. Israel imposed a full blockade as part of its pressure campaign on Hamas, but ordinary families are paying the price. According to global food security monitors, nearly 1 million people are struggling to eat, and half a million could face starvation in the coming weeks.
Israel’s government denies causing a food crisis, blaming Hamas for withholding supplies. But aid groups say conditions are now at a breaking point.
All of this is unfolding while U.S. President Donald Trump tours the Middle East. His trip has taken him through several Gulf nations, but he has not visited Israel or Gaza. Some hoped his presence would help restart ceasefire talks or allow aid to flow again. So far, there’s been no public breakthrough.
The war began on October 7, 2023, after a deadly Hamas attack inside Israel left 1,200 people dead and around 250 hostages taken. Since then, Israeli forces have launched a sweeping military campaign that has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. Nearly 3,000 have died just since March, when a temporary ceasefire collapsed.
Hamas is still believed to be holding 58 hostages, with only 23 presumed alive.
For everyday people in Gaza, survival has become a full-time battle — not just from airstrikes, but from hunger, sickness, and fear. With the only cancer hospital gone and food nearly gone too, it’s not just buildings that are falling. It’s hope.
