Israeli forces destroy Gaza’s only cancer hospital amid intensified offensive
Jerusalem: Israeli forces pushed deeper into the Gaza Strip on Friday, destroying the only specialised cancer hospital in the region. The escalation follows Israel’s commitment to expanding its control until Hamas releases the remaining hostages.
The hospital, located in the Netzarim Corridor, an area that divided Gaza in two and remained under Israeli control for most of the 17-month-long conflict, was targeted after Israel resumed operations in the corridor earlier this week, breaking a ceasefire that had been in place since late January. The ceasefire had allowed the release of over two dozen hostages.
The Israeli military stated that the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital had been inaccessible to doctors and patients due to Hamas militants allegedly operating from the site. However, Türkiye, which helped establish and fund the hospital, accused Israel of using it as a military base at one point, according to an AP report.
Dr Zaki Al-Zaqzouq, head of the hospital’s oncology department, revealed that a medical team had visited the facility during the ceasefire and found it damaged but partially intact. Following the attack, the Medical Aid for Palestinians group condemned the bombing, calling it an attack on a crucial healthcare facility.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry denounced the destruction of the hospital, accusing Israel of deliberately making Gaza uninhabitable and forcibly displacing Palestinians.
Under international law, hospitals can lose their protected status if used for military purposes, but any attack must be proportionate. Human rights organisations and UN-backed experts have repeatedly criticised Israel for systematically targeting Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
