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In a fabric tent at a refugee camp in central Gaza, 16-year-old Enshirah Abu Amsha, suffering from cancer, sits flipping through photos of herself taken while she was on treatment bed, in which she has been denied of good treatment due to the devastating aggression launched by Israel since October 7.
The war has forced her to move from a room with a cooling system that was accommodating to her health needs, albeit minimally alleviating her illness, into a tent where the conditions are unbearably hot and humid, devoid of basic life necessities.
The ongoing conflict and the near-total closure of the Rafah crossing since the beginning of the war have prevented Abu Amsha from continuing her treatment abroad, as her family had hoped on October 10, according to her statements to Anadolu Agency.
With Israel closing the crossing completely on May 7, after controlling the Palestinian side of it during an operation in Rafah, her family’s hope of seeking treatment outside Gaza has dwindled amidst her deteriorating health.
Abu Amsha, who has suffered severe facial swelling and the loss of her left eye due to tumors—one above the eye and the other in her cheek—pleads for evacuation from the Gaza Strip to complete her treatment and escape the imminent danger.
Enshirah is not the only member of the Abu Amsha family afflicted by cancer. Her mother and sister also suffer from the same illness, while her brother faces a condition of increased brain electrical activity.
The family battles both disease and war for survival, having lost their sole breadwinner years ago to the same illness.
Since the onset of the aggression, Israel has closed Gaza’s crossings, particularly the Rafah crossing, which had seen partial closures allowing only a handful of foreign passport holders and the sick and wounded to leave. The crossing was completely shut after the Israeli army took control of the Palestinian side on May 7.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that the health system has lost over 70% of its capacity, while the ministry struggles to provide services through field hospitals that are unable to offer even basic care.
In August, the ministry indicated that 25,000 patients and wounded individuals in the strip required treatment abroad but could not travel due to the Israeli aggression.
In June, the ministry noted that only about 4,895 patients and wounded individuals had managed to travel abroad, representing only 19.5% of the total number needing treatment.
Several Displacement
Like other Palestinian families, the Abu Amsha family, with most of its members afflicted by illness, has endured about 12 displacement journeys.
Sama recounted, “Since the war began, we have been displaced from our home in Beit Hanoun, and the displacements have continued, totaling around 12 times.”
She explained that the displacement has separated them from relatives, making it exceedingly difficult to receive support and aid.
During their stay at the Indonesian hospital in northern Gaza, where Enshirah was receiving treatment, Sama was injured by shrapnel from an Israeli attack.
“While at the Indonesian hospital, the army targeted the upper floors before storming the hospital,” she said.
“I was hit by shrapnel in my hand, which severed a nerve, causing numbness and preventing me from performing daily tasks.”
In November 2023, the Israeli army stormed the Indonesian hospital in northern Gaza for four days, leaving behind numerous casualties and extensive destruction.
Tent Aggregates Conditions
Inside the tent, where essential conditions for cancer patients are absent, Enshirah Abu Amsha tries to find solace in caring for a group of cats she has taken in during the war.
She describes her situation as extremely harsh due to her weakened immune system.
“In our home in Beit Hanoun, I had a room with ventilation and cooling because I need special conditions due to my weakened immunity,” she said.
“But now, we sit in a tent under unhealthy conditions, without any means to improve my immunity.”
She mentioned the impossibility of leaving the tent due to overcrowding at the displacement center, exacerbating the spread of diseases and epidemics.
Her deteriorating health is further compounded by the inability to endure the current heat.
She hoped to travel outside the Gaza Strip for treatment with her family as soon as possible.
Same Misery Inflicts Entire Family
Sama, Enshirah’s mother, told Anadolu Agency that Enshirah’s father died years ago from cancer.
“I and my other daughter Aya also have cancer, while the son suffers from increased brain electrical activity,” Sama revealed.
She explained that Enshirah’s condition is extremely difficult due to the health complications and increased swelling on the left side of her face.
“I had been raising funds to send my daughter abroad for further treatment after receiving care in Israeli and Jordanian hospitals, but to no avail. She has undergone about 17 surgeries since she fell ill.”
According to Enshirah mother, among those surgeries Enshirah underwent were a tumor removal from her head and a jaw implant.
Sama also noted that she lost her home and all the savings she had set aside for Enshirah’s treatment due to the war.
The Abu Amsha family, grappling with both war and illness, relies on meager assistance, having lost their only provider to cancer. The lack of nutritious food and immune-boosting milk has contributed to Enshirah’s declining health.
“There were days we had to eat cardboard instead of bread,” she recounted.
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