Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has halted non-critical operations at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza after reports of armed men inside the facility and concerns about suspected weapons movements, highlighting serious security risks. The Geneva-based humanitarian group said the suspension began on January 20 to safeguard patients, staff, and the hospital’s neutrality.
MSF noted that in recent months, patients and personnel had seen armed individuals, some masked, within areas of the hospital compound where the organisation does not carry out activities. The presence of these men, along with suspected weapon transfers, prompted the suspension of non-essential services.
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The Hamas-run Interior Ministry confirmed that it is committed to preventing armed presence inside hospitals and indicated legal action against violators. Authorities suggested some Gazan families’ members had entered hospitals, but did not provide specific identities, maintaining that medical facilities must remain neutral.
MSF emphasized that hospitals should be civilian spaces, free from military activity, to ensure safe, impartial medical care. Critical services, including inpatient and surgical care for patients requiring lifesaving treatment, continue despite the suspension, ensuring essential medical support remains available.
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The organisation expressed concerns to relevant authorities about the breaches, without specifying recipients. MSF also noted that since the October ceasefire, their teams had reported intimidation, arbitrary arrests of patients, and repeated violations that compromise hospital safety and neutrality.
Israel has previously targeted hospitals during the Gaza conflict, citing Hamas fighters operating inside them and parts of the group’s tunnel network beneath facilities. Humanitarian experts stress that attacks or militarisation of hospitals violate international law unless compelling evidence justifies otherwise.