Thread by @EllaTravelsLove

Do Doctors Without Borders collaborate with Hamas?

An Eye-Opening Investigation by Le Journal du Dimanche:

For a year now, Médecins Sans Frontières - Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has faced criticism for biased reporting in favor of Hamas in Gaza and for either cooperating with or remaining silent about Hamas’s actions.

MSF employs 800 local workers in Gaza who provide information to the media, with no way to verify its accuracy. Early in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, MSF spread fake news about an attack on Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza.

Thanks to @ItaiCellier for posting about it first ♥️

The claim about Al-Ahli dominated international headlines. MSF even claimed ignorance of Al-Shifa Hospital being used as a Hamas base, despite evidence on social media showing hostages being dragged through its corridors by Hamas militants.

When questioned by Le Journal du Dimanche, MSF dismissed the investigation as a “dangerous and irresponsible move” that “reinforces Israeli government rhetoric.”

This defensive response appears inadequate given the serious accusations from former MSF members. One prominent voice is Alain Destexhe, a former Secretary General, who published a report accusing MSF of collaborating with Hamas.

Destexhe claims MSF has strayed from its humanitarian mission towards a political agenda. He argues that MSF’s neutrality is compromised, with accusations of MSF ignoring humanitarian law violations by Hamas in Gaza.

In an interview, an MSF doctor confirmed that part of Al-Shifa Hospital was off-limits to medical teams by armed militants, even before the war began. The issue was reported to MSF leadership, but they denied it.

Destexhe’s report claims MSF has never condemned Hamas’s violations. While MSF asserts neutrality, around 50 MSF workers reportedly praised the October 7 massacre, with some even linked to terrorist organizations.

One notable case involves Fadi Al-Wadiya, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad member killed by the IDF. He was an “expert in missile and rocket production,” according to an IDF spokesperson. It raises the question: How many terrorists have infiltrated MSF?

Another controversial figure, Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sitta, claimed 500 civilians were massacred at Al-Ahli Hospital. In reality, a failed Hamas rocket killed about 50. Abu-Sitta has openly urged Palestinians to “fight and die as martyrs.”

Germany banned Abu-Sitta from the Schengen Area for supporting terrorism, radicalization, and antisemitism. Yet this didn’t prevent French Senator Rymonde Pons-Mong from inviting him to testify in the Senate.

In France, even MSF has a dark side. MSF’s Vice President in France, Jassem Abu Sha’ar, posted a cryptic message on Twitter after the October 7 attack, calling for “fact-checking before spitting.” This clashed with the day’s emotions.

Surprisingly, MSF has ties to activist Rim Hassane. She served on MSF’s board from 2021 to 2022 before being elected to the European Parliament. She founded a refugee camp monitoring organization but declined to respond about her role.

“MSF has become a political organization.” This is the main criticism voiced by former members who no longer recognize the organization they joined in 1971. Few dare to speak openly against the Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization.

In France, MSF is thriving. 98% of its income comes from private donations. In 2023, MSF France had a budget of 580 million euros, with prominent donors like L’Oréal Women’s Foundation and Air France.

MSF’s operations include rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean near Libya, which challenges EU immigration policy. This shift from purely humanitarian work to activism has raised questions among its founders and former presidents.

Former Health Minister Bernard Kouchner and Senator Claude Malhuret declined to comment on MSF’s shift. Only Xavier Emmanuelli expressed concern, hoping “MSF will remain neutral, apolitical, and non-religious.”

big thanks to @ItaiCellier who was the one to expose me to this matter in the French Journalism.