Medecins Sans Frontieres has halted “non-critical” medical activities at a major hospital in southern Gaza following reports from patients and its own staff of armed men inside the facility and concerns over the movement of weapons within it.
MSF’s statement appeared to mark the first time that an international humanitarian group in Gaza has publicly reported the presence of armed men in a hospital or the possible use of such a facility for moving weapons.
The Geneva-based medical charity said non-essential operations at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis were suspended on January 20 over concerns with the “management of the structure, the safeguarding of its neutrality, and security breaches.”
In recent months, patients and personnel had “seen armed men, some masked,” in areas of the hospital compound, MSF said.
The Hamas-run Interior Ministry said in a statement it was committed to preventing any armed presence inside hospitals, and that legal action would be taken against violators. It suggested that armed members of certain Gazan families had recently entered hospitals, but did not identify those involved.
