Gaza hospital slams Doctors Without Borders for suspending services over presence of gunmen

The Nasser Hospital in Gaza accuses Doctors Without Borders of “aiding in manufacturing consent” for potential attacks on the southern Gaza medical center, after the aid group said it had suspended nonessential activities at the medical center due to the presence of gunmen and “suspicion of weapons transfers.”

The Khan Younis hospital says there will be “foreseeable and grave consequences” if the aid group, known by its French acronym MSF, does not retract the statement.

In the English-language press release via the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, the hospital claims the presence of armed men “is aimed at securing safety for the staff and patients.”

According to the hospital, the armed men seen on site are not military personnel but rather police carrying out “protective, civilian and lawful” action against “uncontrolled individuals and groups” that have attacked the hospital.

“Despite full transparency and repeated clarification, MSF issued statements that misrepresent facts and mirror narratives historically used to justify attacks on hospitals,” Nasser Hospital says. “MSF is aiding in manufacturing consent for attacks against the hospital.”

The hospital issues a “formal notice” to MSF to “immediately retract” its allegations.

“Failure to do so risks material contribution to the endangerment of a protected medical facility, with foreseeable and grave consequences,” says the hospital.

Doctors Without Borders said it has suspended nonessential medical activities at Nasser Hospital due to the presence of armed men at the medical facility and “a recent situation of suspicion of movement of weapons.” The aid group also said that armed men had been arresting patients.

Israel has long offered evidence of medical facilities’ regular use by Palestinian terror groups as bases of operations due to their protected status. Hostages have also said they were held at Nasser Hospital.

Last year a doctor who also serves as a spokesperson for Nasser Hospital hinted that he had been threatened by Palestinian Islamic Jihad due to his refusal to let the terror group’s operatives enter and use the hospital.

Israel announced earlier this month that it was terminating all the organization’s  activities in Gaza and the West Bank after it failed to provide a list of its Palestinian staff. MSF slammed the move, which takes effect on March 1, as a “pretext” to obstruct aid. Israel has accused MSF of having at least two employees who held membership in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas terror groups.

MSF has been a key provider of medical and humanitarian aid in Gaza, particularly since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led invasion and massacre in southern Israel triggered a two-year war in the enclave.