Armed men inside a hospital compound and suspected weapons transfers have led Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) to halt non-critical services at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, marking the first public acknowledgment by an international aid group of such activity inside a Gaza medical facility.
In a statement updated February 11, MSF said it suspended non-essential operations at Nasser Hospital on January 20 due to concerns about “the management of the structure, the safeguarding of its neutrality, and security breaches.” The organization reported that patients and staff had seen “armed men, some masked,” in different areas of the hospital compound. It also cited “a recent situation of suspicion of movement of weapons,” intimidation, and arbitrary arrests of patients.
An MSF representative told Reuters that lifesaving inpatient and surgical services continue, but other activities remain suspended. MSF said it formally raised concerns with relevant authorities, without specifying whom.
The Hamas-run Interior Ministry said it is committed to preventing armed presence in hospitals and claimed legal action would be taken against violators. It suggested that armed members of local Gaza families may have entered hospitals, but did not provide details.
International humanitarian law is clear. Hospitals are protected civilian sites under the Fourth Geneva Convention. They must not be used for military purposes. If they are used to store weapons, shelter fighters, or conduct hostile acts, they lose protected status. Both attacking a functioning hospital and using it for military activity are considered violations.
Israel has repeatedly presented evidence that Hamas has embedded military infrastructure inside or beneath medical facilities. During the war that began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, the Israeli military released footage and photographs showing tunnel shafts and weapons caches discovered near or under hospitals, including Al-Shifa. Former Israeli hostages have publicly testified that they were held inside Nasser Hospital. Hamas has denied systematically using hospitals for military purposes.
Israel recently ordered MSF and more than 30 other international organizations to cease operations in Gaza and Judea and Samaria if they did not comply with new regulations, including providing staff lists. On January 30, MSF said it would not submit a staff list without assurances for employee safety. Israel subsequently announced that MSF’s authorization to operate would be terminated at the end of February. Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli said, “We are aware that MSF employs individuals who are active in terrorist organizations, which is why it hides its employee lists.” MSF rejected the allegation.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 590 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the October ceasefire, while Palestinian terrorists have killed four Israeli soldiers in the same period.
MSF currently supports six hospitals in Gaza, operates two field hospitals in Deir al-Balah, and assists multiple primary healthcare centers.
The legal and moral framework is straightforward. Hospitals must remain neutral. Once armed men move through their corridors and weapons are transferred within their walls, neutrality is compromised. The consequences are legal, operational, and immediate.