Onsite gunmen force MSF to stop work at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital

Summary: - Israel’s military said its troops “eliminated” an unidentified person in northern Gaza who it alleges crossed the so‑called “yellow line,” a demarcation that separates an eastern zone under Israeli military control from a western area with fewer movement restrictions but ongoing exposure to air strikes and displacement. - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of violating a U.S.-brokered ceasefire; Palestinian officials say nearly 600 Palestinians have been killed since October 10 during the ceasefire period. - Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa, speaking at an African Union summit in Ethiopia, urged Israel to remove obstacles to implementing phase two of the truce, including allowing a technocratic committee to oversee Gaza’s daily governance. - The report cites Palestinian authorities’ toll for the broader conflict since October 2023 at more than 72,000 killed and 171,000 wounded. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it has suspended non‑essential work at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, after staff and patients reported “armed men, some masked” inside the building and other alleged security breaches. The suspension, in effect since Jan. 20 and described in an MSF FAQ updated Feb. 11, was prompted by concerns about management of the facility, breaches of neutrality and reports of intimidation, arbitrary arrests of patients and suspected weapons movement. MSF will continue supporting critical inpatient and surgical services but is ending support to paediatrics, maternity (including the neonatal ICU) and many outpatient services. MSF could not identify the armed men’s affiliation and said its concerns were heightened by prior attacks on health facilities. Gaza’s Ministry of Health said the suspension will have a major impact and that it will take over maternity care; the Interior Ministry said it is committed to preventing any armed presence in hospitals and will pursue legal action. MSF’s announcement follows Israeli orders requiring some international organisations to meet new rules (including sharing staff details) to continue operating in Gaza and the West Bank; MSF has said it will not hand over a staff list without safety assurances. The article also states that Gaza’s health infrastructure has been severely damaged and reports that 95 Palestinian medical workers (about 80 from Gaza) are being held.