The unsettling presence of masked gunmen has forced Doctors Without Borders to halt its operations at Nasser Hospital in Gaza. This facility is believed to have been a hub for activities by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The Switzerland-based humanitarian organization, known for its progressive stance, acknowledged suspending all “non-critical” medical services at the significant southern Gaza hospital. The decision came after staff reported witnessing gunmen inside the facility, reportedly moving weapons, as noted by Reuters.
Though these non-essential operations were discontinued in January, the decision was discreetly published in the frequently asked questions section on the Doctors Without Borders website, with the last update appearing on February 11, according to the Associated Press.
This disclosure marks a precedent as it is the first instance of an international humanitarian group in Gaza openly acknowledging the presence of armed individuals within a hospital.
Reports from hospital staff confirmed sightings of masked gunmen in various parts of the facility over the past months, as relayed by Doctors Without Borders.
The Interior Ministry, governed by Hamas, asserted its dedication to ensuring hospitals in Gaza remain free from armed individuals and promised to take measures against anyone found carrying weapons at Nasser Hospital.
But ex-employees of Nasser Hospital reported being openly threatened Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups, the Times of Israel reported in April 2025.
Israel and the US have long maintained that Hamas has used hospitals, including Nasser Hospital, as centers of operations turning patients into human shields.
During the war in Gaza, Israel conducted raids on the vast majority of hospitals in the Strip to root out terrorists who used the buildings to store weapons and ammunition, according to the outlet.
Nasser Hospital was also the site of a siege between IDF soldiers and Hamas terrorsists for weeks in 2024.
This marks the first time that an international humanitarian group in Gaza has publicly admitted to the presence of armed men in a hospital.
Hospital employees have seen armed men, some of whom are masked, in several areas of the hospital in recent months, according to Doctors Without Borders.
