Share and Follow
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, has halted non-essential medical services at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, due to safety concerns.
The organization announced on January 20 that it decided to suspend these operations because of worries about hospital management and a series of unacceptable incidents occurring within the hospital premises.
At the time, this suspension had not been widely covered by the media, and it remains unclear when the decision was first publicly announced.
The update regarding the suspension appeared on MSF’s frequently asked questions page, which was last updated on February 11.
In a related image dated January 15, 2026, MSF posters and other informational materials are visible on a door at Nasser Hospital, as patients in Khan Younis, Gaza, struggle to access medical care. (Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
In recent months, the international medical humanitarian aid group said staff and patients have reported the presence of armed and sometimes masked men, intimidation, arbitrary arrests of patients and the suspected movement of weapons on hospital grounds.
“While none of these incidents occurred in parts of the hospital compound where MSF works, they pose serious security threats to our teams and patients,” MSF wrote on its website.
“MSF formally expressed its strong concern to relevant authorities and emphasized the incompatibility of such violations with our medical mission. Hospitals must remain neutral, civilian spaces, free from military presence or activity, to ensure the safe and impartial delivery of medical care,” the group continued. “MSF calls on all armed groups, Hamas, and Israeli forces to respect medical facilities and ensure the protection of civilians.”
Palestinian children receive medical treatment at Nasser Hospital amid a rise in influenza and respiratory infections in Khan Yunis, Gaza, on Jan. 14, 2026. (Hani Alshaer/Anadolu via Getty Images)
In a statement issued Saturday, Nasser Hospital rejected what it called “false, unsubstantiated, and misleading allegations” by MSF regarding the presence of weapons or armed groups inside the facility.
“These allegations are factually incorrect, irresponsible, and pose a serious risk to a protected civilian medical facility. The Gaza Strip is under an extreme and prolonged state of emergency resulting from systematic attacks on civilian institutions,” it said. “Under these conditions, isolated unlawful actions by uncontrolled individuals and groups have occurred across society, including attempts by some to carry weapons.”
Hospital officials said a civilian police presence had been arranged to help safeguard patients, staff and infrastructure and called on MSF to retract its claims and reaffirm its commitment to medical neutrality.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Sunday on X that it has intelligence indicating Hamas is using Nasser Hospital as a headquarters and military post, reiterating long-standing allegations that the militant group embeds operations within civilian facilities in Gaza.
Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, Gaza, on Jan. 29, 2026. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“For over two years, the IDF and the defense establishment has warned about the cynical use by terrorist organizations in Gaza of hospitals and humanitarian shelters as human shields to conceal terrorist activity,” it wrote.
Hamas has previously denied using hospitals or other civilian facilities for military purposes.