Gaza Herald – On a bed worn down by illness inside the Gaza Strip, 29-year-old Mahmoud Abu Hamad lies facing a direct battle with kidney cancer, as his treatment journey turns into a harsh race against time amid a collapsing health system and severe shortages in medical resources.
Mahmoud’s suffering began when his right kidney developed severe inflammation that ultimately led to its complete removal. However, subsequent tests revealed an even harsher reality: cancer had begun forming in the kidney and spread to surrounding areas, with doctors warning of a possible progression to other parts of the body.
Doctors in Gaza confirm that Mahmoud’s condition can no longer tolerate delay, and that his chance of survival now depends on urgent medical evacuation for treatment outside the Gaza Strip, as local hospitals are unable to provide the necessary care for his deteriorating condition.
Confronting loss once again
In a home weighed down by grief, Mahmoud’s family lives in a state of constant anxiety, particularly his mother, who has not recovered from the loss of her eldest son a year ago during the war on Gaza.
“My eldest son died a year ago, and that wound is beyond words,” she says in a voice mixed with patience and heartbreak. “Today I feel fear chasing me again, as if pain refuses to leave me.”
She adds: “I try to stay strong for my children, but every passing day feels like it could be decisive in Mahmoud’s life.”
Between illness and loss, the mother finds herself facing yet another test, where hope becomes a fragile thread the family clings to amid a merciless reality.
Distress call
The family stresses that saving Mahmoud’s life has become an urgent priority and their last hope after being exhausted by war, illness, and poverty, warning that every day of delay could cost him his life.
His mother appeals to relevant authorities, including the World Health Organization, to urgently intervene to secure his medical evacuation outside the Gaza Strip, saying: “Please help him before the disease worsens. My hope is in God first, and then in every compassionate heart.”
Strained health system
This comes as Gaza’s health sector faces widespread collapse due to the Israeli war, with dozens of hospitals and medical centers destroyed, alongside restrictions on the entry of essential medical equipment and supplies.
The Turkish Friendship Hospital, the only oncology hospital in the Strip, was also struck and put completely out of service, depriving thousands of patients of treatment.
At the same time, a large number of doctors and paramedics have been killed during the offensive, while others have been detained, as restrictions on medical supplies and drugs continue, further worsening the suffering of cancer and chronic disease patients.
