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Doctors Without Borders pulls back from Gaza hospital over armed men and weapons fears
MSF suspends nonessential work at Nasser Hospital, citing gunmen, intimidation and suspected movement of weapons inside the facility
Doctors Without Borders has suspended nonessential medical activities at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital after reporting the presence of armed men and suspected movement of weapons within the hospital complex.
The international aid organisation, also known as its Medecin Sans Frontieres/MSF, said the decision followed a series of security incidents at the Khan Younis medical centre involving intimidation and the arrest of patients.
“In recent months, in Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, patients and MSF personnel have seen armed men, some masked, in different areas of the large compound of the hospital,” an MSF spokesperson said.
The organisation said the armed men were not present in areas where MSF operates directly, but warned that the situation across the hospital had worsened in recent weeks.
“With an uptick since the ceasefire, MSF teams have reported a pattern of unacceptable acts, including the presence of armed men, intimidation, arbitrary arrests of patients, and a recent situation of suspicion of movement of weapons,” the spokesperson said.
“These incidents pose serious security threats to our teams and patients.”
MSF said it would continue to support critical services at the hospital, including surgery for patients with life-threatening injuries, but would pause wider medical operations.
The move triggered a sharp response from Nasser Hospital, which is overseen by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. In a statement issued in English, hospital officials accused MSF of misrepresenting the situation and warned of severe consequences if the claims were not withdrawn.
“Despite full transparency and repeated clarification, MSF issued statements that misrepresent facts and mirror narratives historically used to justify attacks on hospitals,” the hospital said. “MSF is aiding in manufacturing consent for attacks against the hospital.”
Hospital officials insisted that armed personnel seen on site were not militants but police acting to protect staff and patients and to prevent disorder inside the medical facility.
Israel has repeatedly said that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have used hospitals in Gaza as operational bases, citing recovered weapons, underground infrastructure and testimony from former hostages who said they were held at Nasser Hospital during captivity.
Last year, a doctor who also acts as a spokesperson for Nasser Hospital publicly suggested he had been threatened by Palestinian Islamic Jihad after refusing to allow its operatives to use the hospital.
Earlier this month, Israel announced it would terminate MSF’s activities in Gaza and the West Bank from 1 March, after the organisation failed to provide a full list of its Palestinian staff. MSF condemned the decision as a “pretext” to obstruct humanitarian aid, while Israel had accused the group of employing individuals linked to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
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