A US charity has inaugurated the first children's cancer department in the Gaza Strip.
The $3 million department, sponsored by Palestine Children Relief Fund, will help many children avoid the difficult journey of exiting the blockaded area for treatment in Israel and the West Bank, often without an accompanying parent, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
At Tuesday's opening, it was called "a symbol of hope."
The facility — a new floor at Gaza's pediatric hospital — will provide chemotherapy, though bone marrow transplants and nuclear medicine won't be available.
According to AP, the fund says it has an agreement with the World Health Organization to secure free movement of samples to labs in Israel or Jordan.
