Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has suspended some operations at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, after staff and patients reported witnessing armed, masked men inside the facility, the aid organization announced Friday. The suspension impacts noncritical medical operations at one of Gaza’s largest functioning hospitals, where hundreds of patients and the war-wounded receive daily treatment.
MSF stated the security breaches posed “serious security threats to our teams and patients.” According to the organization, reports included the presence of armed men, intimidation, arbitrary arrests of patients, and suspicions of weapons movement within the hospital grounds. Even as the suspension initially occurred in January, it was publicly disclosed in MSF’s frequently asked questions section on its website.
Nasser Hospital has also served as a central location for the exchange of Palestinian prisoners released by Israel in exchange for Israeli hostages as part of the current ceasefire deal. The presence of armed individuals within a functioning medical facility is a rare occurrence, according to MSF, and has not been widely reported since the start of the conflict over two years ago.
MSF currently maintains over 1,000 staff members working in Gaza, providing surgical care, wound and burn treatment, malnutrition screening, maternal and pediatric care, physiotherapy, vaccinations, mental health support, and water and sanitation services. The organization operates a field hospital in Deir al-Balah and a clinic in Gaza City, though activities in Gaza City were previously suspended due to the intensity of Israeli offensive operations in October 2025, before being partially resumed.
The suspension at Nasser Hospital follows a period of intense fighting in Khan Younis. The aid group did not specify when operations might resume, citing ongoing security concerns.
