Gaza’s Nasser hospital slams MSF suspension

One of Gaza’s last functioning large hospitals condemned the move by an international organisation to pull out of operations over concerns about armed men, claiming on Sunday that the hospital had installed civil police for security. The move comes as at least 10 Palestinians were killed in clashes with the Israeli military in Gaza. Doctors Without Borders, also known by its acronym MSF, said in a statement Saturday that all its noncritical medical operations at Nasser Hospital were suspended due to security breaches that posed “serious” threats to its teams and patients. 

MSF said there had been an increase in patients and staff seeing armed men in parts of the compound since the US-brokered October ceasefire was reached.  Nasser Hospital said on Sunday that the increase in armed men was due to a civilian police presence aimed at protecting patients and staff and said MSF’s “allegations are factually incorrect, irresponsible, and pose a serious risk to a protected civilian medical facility.” Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis is one of the territory’s few functioning hospitals. Hundreds of patients and war-wounded have been treated there daily, and the facility was a hub for Palestinian prisoners released by Israel in exchange for Israeli hostages as part of the current ceasefire deal.

“MSF teams have reported a pattern of unacceptable acts including the presence of armed men, intimidation, arbitrary arrests of patients and a recent situation of suspicion of movement of weapons,” the organisation said.  The suspension occurred in January but was only recently announced. Nasser Hospital staff say that in recent months it has been repeatedly attacked by masked, armed men and militias, which is why the presence of an armed civilian police force is crucial. Hamas remains the dominant force in areas not under Israeli control, including in the area where Nasser Hospital is located.

But other armed groups have mushroomed across Gaza as a result of the war, including groups backed by Israel’s army in the Israeli-controlled part of the strip. Throughout the war, which began with the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Octoobr 7, 2023, Israel has repeatedly struck hospitals, including Nasser, accusing the militant group of operating in or around them. Hamas security men often have been seen inside hospitals, blocking access to some areas. Some hostages released from Gaza have said they spent time during captivity in a hospital, including Nasser Hospital.

At least 10 Palestinians were killed Sunday by Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip, hospital authorities said. The dead include five men, all in their 20s, who were killed in an Israeli strike in the eastern part of Khan Younis city, according to the Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies. The strike hit a group of people in an area close to the Yellow Line which separates Israeli-controlled areas from the rest of Gaza, it said. The Israeli military did not comment on the strike but has said in the past it will attack militants if its troops are threatened, especially near the Yellow Line.

Rami Shaqra said his son, al-Baraa, was among the militants who were securing the area from potential attacks by the Israeli forces or Israeli-backed armed groups, when they were hit by the Israeli military. He said that they were killed by an airstrike. Associated Press footage from the morgue showed at least two of the men had headbands denoting membership in the Qassam Brigades, the militant arm of Hamas. In northern Gaza, a drone strike hit a group of people in the Falluja area of Jabaliya refugee camp, killing five people, according to the Shifa Hospital.

The Israeli military said it was striking northern Gaza in response to several ceasefire violations near the Yellow Line, including militants attempting to hide in debris and others who attempted to cross the line while armed. The October 10 US-brokered ceasefire deal attempted to halt a more than two-year war between Israel and Hamas. While the heaviest fighting has subsided, the ceasefire has seen almost daily Israeli fire.

Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes and frequently fire on Palestinians near military-held zones, killing 601 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led Government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts. But it does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants. Militants have carried out shooting attacks on troops, and Israel says its strikes are in response to that and other violations. Palestinians performing funeral prayers.