Türkiye-Palestine Friendship Hospital

Türkiye-Palestine Friendship Hospital is a healthcare facility built by Türkiye in the Gaza Strip to provide medical services to the Palestinian people. Constructed by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), the hospital operated as the only specialized center in Gaza dedicated to the treatment of cancer patients. It was targeted multiple times during Israel’s military operations that began on 7 October 2023 and was completely destroyed on 21 March 2025 when the Israeli military detonated explosives to demolish it.

Türkiye-Palestine Friendship Hospital – Anadolu Agency

Establishment and Construction Process

The hospital was planned in 2010 following instructions from then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Construction, led by TİKA to meet the educational and research hospital needs of Gaza Islamic University, began in 2011. The construction process was prolonged due to Israel’s blockade, restrictions on the movement of materials and personnel, and the challenges posed by conflicts in the region in 2012 and 2014. The hospital was finally completed in 2017.

The hospital was built on a 33,400 square meter area within the campus of Gaza Islamic University Faculty of Medicine. The structure consists of eight interconnected blocks and includes four operating rooms, intensive care units, laboratories, and a total of 180 patient rooms. In this regard, it became one of the largest healthcare centers in Gaza and throughout Palestine.

Pandemic Period and Transfer to Palestine

In March 2020, amid the global spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the hospital was transferred to Palestinian authorities to strengthen Gaza’s limited healthcare infrastructure. This transfer, approved by President Erdoğan, was formalized on 26 March 2020 through a protocol signed by TİKA, Gaza Islamic University, and the Palestinian Ministry of Health. During this period, the hospital was used as a quarantine facility.

Damage After 2023

During Israel’s ground offensive launched in Gaza on 7 October 2023, the Israeli military occupied the hospital and its surroundings. Due to its strategic location along the Netzarim Corridor, the hospital was used by Israeli forces for military purposes; armored vehicles were deployed around and inside the building. During this period, medical equipment was damaged and the hospital became non-functional.

Demolition Process

The Israeli military claimed that the hospital was being used as a military base by Hamas and decided to neutralize the structure on this basis. On 21 March 2025, the Palestine-Türkiye Friendship Hospital was destroyed by explosives placed by Israeli soldiers. Along with the explosion, the building was completely demolished and rendered inoperable.

Palestine-Türkiye Friendship Hospital – Anadolu Agency

International Reactions

Republic of Türkiye

In a written statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye on 21 March 2025, the destruction of the hospital was described as “part of a policy to make Gaza uninhabitable and force the Palestinian people into exile.” Türkiye condemned the attack and stated that those responsible, beginning with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would be held accountable under international law.

Gaza Ministry of Health

In a statement issued on the same day, it was emphasized that the hospital was the only center in Gaza providing cancer treatment. The building was reported to have been first occupied by Israel, then used as a military base, and subsequently systematically destroyed. This action was assessed as a deliberate targeting of Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure.

The Gaza Ministry of Health’s statement included the phrase: “The attack on the Türkiye-Palestine Friendship Hospital is part of Israel’s systematic policy to deliberately collapse Gaza’s healthcare system and a link in the chain of genocide.”

Hamas

In a statement issued by Hamas on 22 March 2025, Israel’s action was labeled a “sadistic act” and a call was made to submit the case to the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. The statement asserted that the United States administration’s support for Israel has emboldened such attacks.

United Nations

Deputy UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq stated in his remarks that any attack on medical infrastructure constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law. Haq noted that nearly all hospitals in Gaza have suffered damage to varying degrees and described the situation as unacceptable.