Why is Doctors Without Borders covering for Hamas in Gaza?

 As some of the 237 hostages held in Gaza continue to be freed in a fragile temporary cease-fire deal, most humanitarian organizations remain deafeningly silent on the fate of these innocent captives and Hamas’ extensive abuse of civilian and medical infrastructure.

This exploitation, especially the extensive tunnel network under hospitals, was key to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and the continued illegal holding of these hostages, including women, children and elderly and injured people.

The nonprofit Médecins Sans Frontières, or Doctors Without Borders, has a global budget of $2 billion and donors that include leading nations like Canada and Switzerland, in addition to corporations, foundations and individuals. 

Media outlets regularly use it as a source of information in conflict zones.

One of the world’s most influential humanitarian organizations, it has repeatedly and very visibly failed in its stated mission to provide “independent and impartial medical humanitarian assistance.”

MSF has remained silent about the welfare of the hostages taken from Israel, who range in age from a baby of 10 months to people in their 80s and hold passports from dozens of countries, including the United States, Germany and Thailand.

With a decades-long presence providing care in Gaza’s medical facilities, surely MSF should be doing more, including making stronger demands to visit the hostages and check on their welfare.

At the very least, the unconditional release of all hostages should be among the organization’s top demands — beyond repeated calls for a cease-fire and more humanitarian aid for Gazan civilians.

MSF officials have also denied Hamas’ presence in Gazan medical facilities.

But there is documented evidence weapons are stored in hospitals and hospital infrastructure was involved in the lead-up and aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack, including as a place to hold hostages.

Among this is security-camera footage of terrorists bringing hostages to al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City the day of the attack, as well as information that terrorists murdered hostage Noa Marciano, 19, in the hospital.

This pattern of Hamas abuse is not new: At least one British doctor who worked in al-Shifa a few years ago recently told media outlet France 24 that he was told not to go to certain parts of the facility or he would be shot.

A former US government-aid official who worked in Gaza admitted it was well known that Hamas used the hospital as a command center and transported its fighters by ambulance.

Hamas has so extensively used Gaza’s medical system as a cover that Israel authorities sent messages last week to health-care workers there asking for information about the hostages, pledging confidentiality for anyone who comes forward.

MSF has issued numerous condemnations of Israel’s military operations targeting the terrorist infrastructure under hospitals — but remains silent on Hamas rockets that have hit Israel’s Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon.

It also hasn’t denounced the brutal murder of medical personnel in the Oct. 7 attacks, including medic Amit Mann.

Hamas terrorists killed her inside a Magen David Adom medical clinic, where she was treating those injured in the massacre.

Nor has MSF decried Hamas’ torching of Israeli ambulances.

Silence on these issues is even more notable given that MSF lists “bearing witness” as part of its key mission.

Out of 112 tweets on the conflict from MSF’s X account between Oct. 7 and Nov. 19, not one mentions Israeli victims alone; five mention both Israelis and Palestinians, according to my organization’s research.

MSF has only condemned Hamas once, in a single statement that also condemned Israeli military attacks on Hamas in Gaza, implying moral equivalency between the state of Israel and a designated terrorist organization.

MSF’s donors and partners need to push the organization to change its behavior on Israel and Gaza and return to its founding ideals.

Failing to do so puts lives and the sanctity of the medical system around the world in jeopardy.

More immediately, continuing to support MSF’s work suggests blatant disregard for the 1,200 victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks and the hostages who remain captive in Gaza.

Gerald M. Steinberg is professor of political science at Bar Ilan University and president of NGO Monitor.

https://nypost.com/2023/11/29/opinion/why-is-doctors-without-borders-covering-for-hamas-in-gaza/