Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), commonly known as Doctors Without Borders, has suspended non-critical medical operations at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, due to security concerns.
Doctors Without Borders said the decision was made on January 20 due to concerns about the hospital’s management and what it described as a pattern of unacceptable incidents at the complex.
The suspension was not widely reported at the time and it was not immediately clear when the decision was first made public.
MSF’s FAQ page, where the update appears, shows that it was last revised on February 11.
US-backed Gaza aid group accuses Doctors Without Borders of spreading ‘false’ claims
On January 15, 2026, a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) poster and other informational notices hang on a door of Nasser Hospital as patients face difficulties accessing care in Khan Yunis, Gaza. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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 suspected movement of weapons on hospital grounds in recent months.
“While none of these incidents occurred in parts of the hospital complex where MSF works, they pose serious safety risks to our teams and patients,” MSF wrote on its website.
“MSF has formally expressed its deep concerns to the relevant authorities and emphasized the incompatibility of such violations with our medical mission. Hospitals must remain neutral, civilian spaces, free from military presence or activities, 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.”
HAMAS plots infiltration of US-backed Gaza aid site, forces temporary closure
Palestinian children receive medical treatment at Nasser Hospital amid a rise in flu and respiratory infections in Khan Yunis, Gaza, on January 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 Doctors Without Borders about the presence of weapons or armed groups at the facility.
“These allegations are factually incorrect, irresponsible and pose a serious risk to a protected civilian medical facility. The Gaza Strip is in an extreme and prolonged state of emergency due to systematic attacks on civilian institutions,” the report said. “Under these circumstances, isolated unlawful actions by uncontrolled individuals and groups have occurred throughout society, including attempts by some to carry weapons.”
Hospital officials said a civilian police presence had been arranged to help protect patients, staff and infrastructure and called on MSF to withdraw its claims and reaffirm its commitment to medical neutrality.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Sunday on
Patients are treated at the orthopedic ward of Nasser Hospital, while Palestinians injured in Israeli attacks continue to receive care under limited conditions in Khan Yunis, Gaza, on January 29, 2026. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“For more than two years, the IDF and the defense establishment have warned of the cynical use by terrorist organizations in Gaza of hospitals and humanitarian shelters as human shields to conceal terrorist activities,” the report said.
Hamas has previously denied using hospitals or other civilian facilities for military purposes.
