The liquid collagen contains marine collagen, hyaluronic acid, biotin, vitamin C, and zinc

As the years advance, our skin, hair and nails age, with fine lines emerging and locks becoming thinner. Ageing is a natural process, but there are methods consumers can use to prevent or even lessen its signs.

Collagen – the body’s most plentiful protein, which acts as a ‘framework that upholds our skin, bones and even internal organs’ – slows down in production. This decline compromises our complexion, resulting in more pronounced wrinkles and sparser hair.

Whilst targeted moisturisers and serums have shown promise in addressing these concerns, their effectiveness has its limits – which is where oral supplements step in. Brand Reverse Life has earned acclaim from customers for its capacity to not only ‘support skin elasticity during menopause ‘ but also alleviate joint discomfort, reports the Express.

Reverse Life’s Marine Collagen is a liquid supplement – rather than tablets, allowing for superior and swifter absorption. Its formulation contains 10,000mg of marine collagen, hyaluronic acid, biotin, vitamin C, and zinc, all working together to create a ‘potent, age-defying formula that operates from within’.

Research conducted by Reverse Life reveals that 93% of participants experienced noticeably more moisturised skin, while 88% reported firmer, more supple skin. The formula has recently been awarded the M-Tick by GenM, an innovative company that recognises menopause-friendly products, and utilises 10,000mg of hydrolysed marine collagen to enhance skin luminosity and hydration.

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Shoppers can get 15% off Reverse Life’s Marine Collagen when applying the discount code LINKBY15 at checkout. The Reverse Life liquid collagen formula is easy to digest, highly bioavailable and readily absorbed.

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The inclusion of vitamins C, D, zinc, and biotin also helps bolster immunity and improve joint health. Unlike conventional collagen capsules, which often require two daily doses, users only need to take one capful a day of this product, such as Swallow’s Marine Collagen Peptide capsules, £30 for a month’s supply.

Reverse Life says its Marine Collagen is particularly beneficial for dealing with perimenopause and menopause, stating: “Collagen combined with Hyaluronic acid and Biotin (as it is in the Reverse Life formula) can also help peri and menopausal women combat a range of common issues including joint pain, loss of skin hydration, dryness and itching as well as thinning hair and brittle nails.”

Its formulation also includes protein, which helps address hormonal challenges during this phase. Currently, one bottle (20 servings) is discounted to £29, from its original price of £40.

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Reverse Life also offers a subscription service for further savings. For instance, its three-bottle supply is now £59, down from £120, effectively working out at 99p per day.

It is also extending a 15% discount to customers who use the code LINKBY15 at checkout. This brings a single bottle down to £24.65, whilst a three-month subscription drops to £50.15 (working out at 83p daily).

For those who’d prefer mixing a powder into their morning smoothie, Free Soul’s CreaGlow: Creatine + Collagen Powder is available on subscription for £27.99. It’s described as a ‘strength and beauty blend, formulated with Creatine, CreaDrateTM and Naticol® Marine Collagen for strength, recovery and radiance’.

However, Reverse Life’s collagen offering, which is a mixed berry flavour, has earned praise from shoppers, with one saying: “This is great collagen. Pleasant taste and no need to add to drinks. Since taking this, my hair and nails have grown a lot, and sciatica has hardly been noticeable, which is an unexpected bonus. My face appears smoother and more radiant.”

Another reviewer said: “It’s the best stuff, my hair is the best ever and helps nails too, but I find my hair is where I’ve really noticed the difference. Love it.”

A third customer added: “I have been using this for almost two years, it definitely has helped my skin elasticity with menopause. I get comments all the time on having barely any lines or wrinkles at age 57, almost 58.”

Another user described it as ‘liquid gold’, adding: “I’m still in love with Reverse Life because that’s what it is doing for me reversing my wrinkles etc, love it.”

Whilst the majority of feedback suggests impressive outcomes, backing up its solid 4.4-star rating on TrustPilot, a handful of users weren’t entirely convinced. One buyer commenting: “Taste is great. I’ve tried it before for six months. Didn’t seem to change anything.”

A final consumer commented: “Noticed a huge improvement in my skin, hair, nails and joints. I have no wrinkles at all and people comment asking if I’ve had Botox!”

It comes after the men’s team ended their winning streak earlier this week

The Manchester United women’s team have poked fun at their male counterparts in a recent goal celebration following their sixth consecutive win. The Red Devils are now on a run of six consecutive victories in all competitions, and players marked the achievement by cheekily pretending to cut their hair.

It is understood to be a reference to viral Manchester United fan Frank Ilett, known as The United Strand online, who is waiting for the men’s team to win five games in a row to cut his hair. This week, he was hoping that his 493-day challenge would finally come to an end after Michael Carrick’s men won four straight games against Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham and Tottenham.

But Ilett was forced to wait after the men’s team failed to beat West Ham United on Tuesday night.

After celebrating Benjamin Sesko’s late equaliser in injury-time, Illett cut a frustrated figure after the full-time whistle blew. Over 265,000 fans were viewing the live stream on Kick! at full-time, with the fan claiming he was “heartbroken” after the final whistle.

Following a goalless first-half, Tomas Soucek crushed the hopes and dreams of the social media star 50 minutes into the match, putting West Ham 1-0 up on home soil. Two days later, on February 12, the women’s team beat Atlético by three goals UEFA Women’s Champion’s League – marking their six consecutive victory in all competitions.

Forward Elisabeth Terland celebrated scoring the game’s opener, along with women’s captain and defender Maya Le Tissier, by pretending to cut their hair – poking fun at the men’s team’s loss two days earlier.

Fans were quick to take to social media after noticing the jibe – with some calling it ‘hilarious’ and others even calling it ‘a big slap to the face’s of the men’s team’. It comes after Wayne Rooney has vented his frustration with The United Strand as he continues to claim fame from Manchester United’s demise.

While appearing on Sam Allardyce’s No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, the former United hero was asked if he would cut the fan’s hair if requested. Rooney was clear as he said: “I’d put him to the other side of the country, he’s doing my head in.

“We’re talking about Carrick and United trying to win their fifth game in a row and the whole thing is about this guy getting his haircut. I bet he’d be devastated if United win the fifth game because all of a sudden he’s irrelevant.

“That’s where social media’s taken this now – it’s all about a guy getting his haircut if Man United win a game of football.”

Scotland took on England in the Six Nations on Saturday afternoon, with the hosts running out 31-20 winners at Murrayfield to clinch the Calcutta Cup on home turf

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Commentator Nick Mullins was compelled to apologise for any offensive language captured on ITV’s coverage of Scotland versus England in the Six Nations, as an enthusiastic Murrayfield Stadium celebrated an impressive home display.

Gregor Townsend’s side started strongly against the Red Roses, whose challenge was significantly hindered approximately 25 minutes in following Henry Arundell’s dismissal.

Having established a 31-13 advantage over Steve Borthwick’s side, Flower of Scotland rang out from a capacity home support, with ITV’s microphones seemingly capturing one supporter shouting: “I f***ing love this.”

Responding swiftly, Mullins was then heard apologising for any language picked up. He said: “Apologies for the language in the middle of all that, no apologies for the general noise around Murrayfield right now.”

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A 20-minute reduction to 14 players proved the least of England’s concerns when Arundell received a second yellow card during the opening period, given the Red Roses were already trailing 24-10 following a blistering Scottish start.

Having previously been sin-binned within nine minutes for failing to release the ball, the Bath winger collected a second caution and consequently a red for a reckless tackle on Kyle Steyn.

Scott Hastings appeared stunned by the incident, remarking during his commentary duties: “Wow, wow, wow. That is a real turning point in this game. It was reckless, he wasn’t challenging for the ball.

“And he is absolutely right. I was very impressed with Sione Tuipulotu, the way he spoke to the referee. The right decision was made in that case, a 20-minute red card. This game has drama written all over it.”

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Meanwhile, David Flatman remarked: “I don’t think you can argue that call. I quite like what you said about Tuipulotu. I quite like how he handled it because just before he said, ‘I’ll take the lads away’, he said, ‘That is dangerous, that is dangerous.’

“No argument there. Scotland were quite good against 14 a few minutes ago, weren’t they?”

Whilst not a decisive moment in determining the match’s outcome, Arundell’s absence certainly benefited Scotland, who emerged as 31-20 victors over England to secure the Calcutta Cup on home soil.

The victory also puts Scotland top of the Six Nations table on six points, having picked up two bonus points from their two matches.

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Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.

A shutdown of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that took effect early Saturday impacts the agency responsible for screening passengers and bags at airports across the country. Travelers with airline reservations may be nervously recalling a 43-day government shutdown that led to historic flight cancellations and long delays last year.

Transportation Security Administration officers are expected to work without pay while lawmakers remain without an agreement on DHS’ annual funding. TSA officers also worked through the record shutdown that ended Nov. 12, but aviation experts say this one may play out differently.

Trade groups for the U.S. travel industry and major airlines nonetheless warned that the longer DHS appropriations are lapsed, the longer security lines at the nation’s commercial airports could get.

Here’s what to know about the latest shutdown and how to plan ahead.

What’s different about this shutdown?

Funding for Homeland Security expired at midnight. But the rest of the federal government is funded through Sept. 30. That means air traffic controllers employed by the Federal Aviation Administration will receive paychecks as usual, reducing the risk of widespread flight cancellations.

According to the department’s contingency plan, about 95% of TSA workers are deemed essential personnel and required to keep working. Democrats in the House and Senate say DHS won’t get funded until new restrictions are placed on federal immigration operations.

During past shutdowns, disruptions to air travel tended to build over time, not overnight. About a month into last year’s shutdown, for example, TSA temporarily closed two checkpoints at Philadelphia International Airport. That same day, the government took the extraordinary step of ordering all commercial airlines to reduce their domestic flight schedules.

John Clark, arriving at Detroit Metropolitan Airport from a business trip in Mississippi, said he was impacted by that earlier shutdown and is worried.

“You might not be able to get home if you’re already out, or it might delay if you worked all week and you’re trying to get home,” said Clark, who frequently travels for his job balancing machines. “It’s really bad.”

John Rose, chief risk officer for global travel management company Altour, said strains could surface at airports more quickly this time because the TSA workforce also will be remembering the last shutdown.

“It’s still fresh in their minds and potentially their pocketbooks,” Rose said.

What is the impact on travelers?

It’s hard to predict whether, when or where security screening snags might pop up. Even a handful of unscheduled TSA absences could quickly lead to longer wait times at smaller airports, for example, if there’s just a single security checkpoint.

That’s why travelers should plan to arrive early and allow extra time to get through security.

“I tell people to do this even in good times,” Rose said.

Experts say flight delays also are a possibility even though air traffic controllers are not affected by the DHS shutdown.

Airlines might decide to delay departures in some cases to wait for passengers to clear screening, said Rich Davis, senior security adviser at risk mitigation company International SOS. Shortages of TSA officers also could slow the screening of checked luggage behind the scenes.

Burnest R. Green, who flew to Detroit from Phoenix for his sister’s 70th birthday, says he wants the shutdown ended before he flies back in over a week’s time.

“I just hope that things start to get better before they get any worse,” he said.

What travelers can do to prepare

Most airports display security line wait times on their websites, but don’t wait until the day of a flight to check them, Rose advised.

“You may look online and it says two-and-a-half hours,” he said. “Now it’s two-and-a-half hours before your flight and you haven’t left for the airport yet.”

Passengers should also pay close attention while packing since prohibited items are likely to prolong the screening process. For carry-on bags, avoid bringing full-size shampoo or other liquids, large gels or aerosols and items like pocketknives in carry-on bags.

TSA has a full list on its website of what is and isn’t allowed in carry-on and checked luggage.

At the airport, Rose said, remember to “practice patience and empathy.”

“Not only are they not getting paid,” he said of TSA agents, “they’re probably working with reduced staff and dealing with angry travelers.”

Will the shutdown drag on?

The White House has been negotiating with Democratic lawmakers, but the two sides failed to reach a deal by the end of the week before senators and members of Congress were set to leave Washington for a 10-day break.

Lawmakers in both chambers were on notice, however, to return if a deal to end the shutdown is struck.

Democrats have said they won’t help approve more DHS funding until new restrictions are placed on federal immigration operations after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis last month.

In a joint statement, U.S. Travel, Airlines for America and the American Hotel & Lodging Association warned that the shutdown threatens to disrupt air travel as the busy spring break travel season approaches.

“Travelers and the U.S. economy cannot afford to have essential TSA personnel working without pay, which increases the risk of unscheduled absences and call outs, and ultimately can lead to higher wait times and missed or delayed flights,” the statement said.

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Associated Press writer Mike Householder contributed from Romulus, Michigan.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe believes referees have become too reliant on VAR after Chris Kavanagh’s horror show in his side’s 3-1 FA Cup win at 10-man Aston Villa.

In the absence of VAR, Kavanagh and his assistant referees seemingly got at least three major decisions wrong in a blundering performance at Villa Park which could easily have cost the Magpies.

Tammy Abraham’s opening goal for Villa was clearly offside, Kavanagh failed to send Lucas Digne off for a shin-high tackle on Jacob Murphy and then the worst decision of all came after the break when Kavanagh and assistant referee Nick Greenhalgh ruled Digne’s handball to be outside the area when it was at least three yards inside.

Former England captain Wayne Rooney called it “one of the worst decisions I have ever seen in football… it’s an absolute shocker”.

The one major decision Kavanagh got right was to send Villa goalkeeper Marco Bizot off for taking out Murphy near the centre-circle and that gave Newcastle a platform to fight back against 10 men in the second half.

Sandro Tonali scored from the free-kick which should have been a penalty then added a second with a sweet strike from distance before Nick Woltemade wrapped up the win at the end.

Howe says VAR has given referees something to hide behind.

“I think there’s an argument to say that, because when VAR is there, there’s always a, ‘Well, I won’t give that, but let’s check it’,” he said.

“And I think then your decision-making maybe isn’t as sharp as it may normally have to be so maybe there’s a difference there.

“I’m always torn on VAR. I said this many times because I still love the emotion, even tonight, when a goal is given and you don’t see a flag or a referee, it’s a goal, and no-one’s going to take it away from you.

“That joy that you get in that moment, I still really love and VAR takes it away. But then on the other side, I was wishing there was VAR on the first goal against us, and probably throughout that game.

“I think it does give accurate results. It does make the game more concise in terms of decision-making and those moments, you have to respect that they’re worth their weight in gold, especially for us today, when we’re on the wrong side of it.

“So I’m still very much torn on it.

“The officials don’t make any (wrong) decision on purpose. It’s what they think at the time. But with without VAR, I thought there was a lot of errors.”

Howe was pleased with how his players kept their cool amid a host of decisions going against them.

“I thought the players did really well to control their emotions, to stay calm, not let it affect our performance negatively.

“And that’s not easy to do in that situation where you feel aggrieved, so I think that certainly helps our performance in the second half.”

A fortnight ago, Villa boss Unai Emery said VAR was “unfair” after it cruelly intervened to deny a goal they scored in a Premier League defeat to Brentford.

But the Spaniard admitted: “Today VAR makes sense. VAR is necessary to help the referees.”

He added: “We played a very competitive match. I was so, so happy about us in the first half. With the red card, and Newcastle scoring, it was more difficult for us.”

LONDON (AP) — Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned by the Kremlin with a rare and lethal toxin found in the skin of poison dart frogs, five European countries said Saturday.

The foreign ministries of the U.K., France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands said analysis in European labs of samples taken from Navalny’s body “conclusively confirmed the presence of epibatidine.” The neurotoxin secreted by dart frogs in South America is not found naturally in Russia, they said.

A joint statement said: “Russia had the means, motive and opportunity to administer this poison.”

The five countries said they were reporting Russia to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for a breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention. There was no immediate comment from the organization.

Navalny, who crusaded against official corruption and staged massive anti-Kremlin protests as President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest foe, died in an Arctic penal colony on Feb. 16, 2024, while serving a 19-year sentence that he believed to be politically motivated.

“Russia saw Navalny as a threat,” British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said. “By using this form of poison the Russian state demonstrated the despicable tools it has at its disposal and the overwhelming fear it has of political opposition.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot wrote on X that the poisoning of Navalny shows “that Vladimir Putin is prepared to use biological weapons against his own people in order to remain in power.”

The European nations’ assessment came as Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, attended the Munich Security Conference in Germany, and just before the second anniversary of Navalny’s death.

She said last year that two independent labs had found that her husband was poisoned shortly before he died. She has repeatedly blamed Putin for her husband’s death. Russian officials have vehemently denied the accusation.

Navalnaya said Saturday that she had been “certain from the first day” that her husband had been poisoned, “but now there is proof.”

“Putin killed Alexei with chemical weapon,” she wrote on She said Putin was “a murderer” who “must be held accountable.”

Russian authorities said that the politician became ill after a walk and died from natural causes.

Epibatidine is found naturally in dart frogs in the wild, and can also be manufactured in a lab, which European scientists suspect was the case with the substance used on Navalny. It works on the body in a similar way to nerve agents, causing shortness of breath, convulsions, seizures, a slowed heart rate and ultimately death.

European officials said they had a high degree of confidence in the assessment that Navalny died from epibatidine poisoning. Asked why the results had taken so long, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said that it had been “a complicated process.”

Wadephul said “no one but Putin’s henchmen will be able to say in detail what happened on Feb. 16, 2024, in the Russian penal colony. But it is clear that Russian authorities had the possibility, the motive and the means to administer the poison to Navalny.”

Navalny was the target of an earlier poisoning in 2020, with a nerve agent in an attack he blamed on the Kremlin, which always denied involvement. His family and allies fought to have him flown to Germany for treatment and recovery. Five months later, he returned to Russia, where he was immediately arrested and imprisoned for the last three years of his life.

The U.K. has accused Russia of repeatedly flouting international bans on chemical and biological weapons. It accuses the Kremlin of carrying out a 2018 attack in the English city of Salisbury that targeted a former Russian intelligence officer, Sergei Skripal, with the nerve agent Novichok. Skripal and his daughter became seriously ill, and a British woman, Dawn Sturgess, died after she came across a discarded bottle with traces of the nerve agent.

A British inquiry concluded that the attack “must have been authorized at the highest level, by President Putin.”

The Kremlin has denied involvement. Russia also denied poisoning Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian agent turned Kremlin critic who died in London in 2006, after ingesting the radioactive isotope polonium-210. A British inquiry concluded that two Russian agents killed Litvinenko, and Putin had “probably approved” the operation.

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Associated Press writers John Leicester in Paris, Mike Corder in The Hague and Philipp Jenne in Munich contributed to this report.

We asked readers where their favourite Chinese restaurants were in the county in celebration of the Year of the Horse

Celebrations for the Lunar New Year will begin on Tuesday (February 17). In celebration of the coming Year of the Horse, we asked readers for their top picks for Chinese cuisine in Cambridgeshire.

The Lunar Year, based on the traditional Chinese calendar, begins with the first moon after the winter solstice. It is an important event celebrated throughout East and Southeast Asia.

Cambridgeshire has plenty of Chinese restaurants dotted around the county that you could visit to celebrate the Lunar New Year. If you are new to the area or want to try somewhere different, you might struggle to choose just one restaurant.

CambridgeshireLive asked its readers to share their favourite Chinese restaurants to help narrow down your options. Here are the three food spots that got the most votes.

Cinta

Location: 12 Post St, Godmanchester, Huntingdon, PE29 2BA

Taking third place in our survey is Cinta in Godmanchester. Many customers have praised the restaurant for its “absolutely fantastic” food, service, and atmosphere, with some going as far as to say it is the “best Chinese around”.

The restaurant serves a range of Chinese favourites as well as Malaysian options if you fancy something different. However, if you are thinking of visiting Cinta for Lunar New Year, you might want to book early, as the restaurant can get quite busy soon after opening.

Jade Fountain

Location: 42-46 High St, Sawston, Cambridge, CB22 3BG

Sawston is a village just outside of Cambridge that is lucky to have a few great food spots. As well as a range of coffee shops and several pubs, the village is home to Jade Fountain, described as a “beloved gem”.

Customers mention the ‘delicious’ food and the restaurant’s many gluten-free options. Many people love the taster menu, which lets you try a range of dishes.

The Welcome

Location: 2-4 East St, St. Ives, PE27 5PB

Whether you want to dine in on Lunar New Year or fancy enjoying some restaurant-quality food from the comfort of your own home, The Welcome can do both. The restaurant has an extensive a la carte menu featuring a variety of Cantonese and Malaysian dishes.

The Welcome also offers a buffet menu at £30.90 per person, ideal for those wanting to try a bit of everything. You can get any of the dishes for takeaway to enjoy at home.

Cuba’s annual cigar fair, which was set to be held the last week of February, has been postponed organizers said Saturday, as the island faces blackouts and severe fuel shortages brought about by a U.S oil embargo.

In a statement, the cigar fair’s organizer, Habanos S.A. said it decided to postpone the iconic event to “preserve its high standard of quality.”

Habanos S.A., a joint venture between the state-owned company Cubatabaco and international firm Altadis, holds the global monopoly on Cuban cigar sales.

Every year, the company hosts the annual Habanos Festival, a key event for cigar aficionados and distributors worldwide, where attendees tour tobacco plantations, participate in auctions and witness the latest in craftsmanship.

The statement by Habanos S.A. did not set a new date for the 26th edition of the cigar fair.

Last year, the event closed with an auction in which $18 million was paid for a batch of highly coveted, hand rolled cigars. The company last year also reported record sales of $827 million.

Several cultural events, including a book fair, have been postponed in Cuba this month as the island grapples with the most severe fuel shortages and power blackouts in years.

In late January, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on any country that sold oil to Cuba, as Washington puts more pressure on the island’s communist leadership to implement political and economic reforms.

Cuba imports about 60% of its energy supply, and had long relied on Venezuela and Mexico for much of its oil.

But shipments from Venezuela were canceled in January following the removal of that nation’s then-president Nicolas Maduro in a U.S. military raid, a move that also resulted in greater U.S. oversight over Venezuela’s oil industry.

Shipments from Mexico stopped in mid-February following Trump’s tariff threat.

Earlier this week, three Canadian airlines canceled flights to Cuba after the island’s government announced there would be no jet fuel for planes seeking to refuel at Cuba’s airports. Other airlines have maintained their flights to the island but will be refueling their planes with stopovers in the Dominican Republic.

The fuel shortages have also hurt tourism on the island, with some agencies canceling trips as the government shuts down some hotels, and relocates tourists in a bid to save electricity.

Tabacuba, a state-run tobacco company, lamented the postponement of this year’s cigar fair in a statement, saying it had come about due to “the complex economic situation that the nation is facing, as a result of the intensification of the economic, commercial and financial blockade” imposed by the United States.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Doctors Without Borders has announced the suspension of some operations at one of Gaza ‘s largest functioning hospitals after patients and staff reported seeing armed, masked men roaming parts of the building.

Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis is one of the territory’s few functioning hospitals. Hundreds of patients and war-wounded have been treated there daily, and it was a hub for Palestinian prisoners released by Israel in exchange for Israeli hostages as part of the current ceasefire deal.

The comments by the aid group, which is also known by its acronym MSF, are a rare announcement by an international organization about the presence of armed men in or near medical facilities in Gaza since the war began over two years ago.

MSF said in a statement all its noncritical medical operations at Nasser Hospital were suspended due to security breaches that posed “serious security threats to our teams and patients.”

“MSF teams have reported a pattern of unacceptable acts including the presence of armed men, intimidation, arbitrary arrests of patients and a recent situation of suspicion of movement of weapons,” it said.

While the suspension occurred in January, it was first disclosed in MSF’s “frequently asked questions” section on its website. It’s unclear when the post was made, but the site said it was updated Feb. 11.

MSF said it made the difficult decision after an increase of patients and staff seeing armed men in parts of the hospital compound since the U.S.-brokered October ceasefire was reached. The gunmen were seen in areas where the group didn’t operate.

Attacks on health facilities

MSF said it wasn’t able to indicate the armed men’s affiliation. It said it had expressed concern to the “relevant” authorities, without elaborating, stressing that hospitals must remain neutral, civilian spaces. It said its concerns were heightened by previous, deliberate Israeli attacks on health facilities.

Throughout the war, which began with the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has repeatedly struck hospitals, including Nasser, accusing the militant group of operating in or around them. Hamas security men often have been seen inside hospitals, blocking access to some areas.

Some hostages released from Gaza have said they spent time during captivity in a hospital.

While Hamas remains the dominant force in areas not under Israeli control, including Nasser Hospital, other armed groups have mushroomed across Gaza as a result of the war, including groups backed by Israel’s army in the Israeli-controlled part of the strip.

Nasser Hospital staff say that in recent months it has been repeatedly attacked by masked, armed men and militias, despite police presence there.

Police to be deployed

The Hamas-run Interior Ministry, which oversees police in Gaza, said officers would be deployed to secure hospitals and rid them of armed presence. It said it was implementing stricter measures to ensure patients’ safety.

While international law gives hospitals special protections during war, they can lose this immunity if combatants use them to hide fighters or store weapons, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Still, there must be plenty of warning to allow the evacuation of staff and patients before any operations take place. If harm to civilians from an attack is disproportionate to the military objective, it is illegal under international law.

Aid groups and rights organizations say Israel has decimated Gaza’s health system, forcing most hospitals to shut down while heavily damaging others. During the war, Israeli forces raided a number of hospitals, detaining hundreds of staff.

Israel also has targeted the police in Gaza.

A weakened medical system

MSF said it will continue supporting critical services at Nasser Hospital, including inpatient and surgical departments for patients with traumatic or burn injuries. However, it is ending support to the pediatrics and maternity wards, including the neonatal intensive care unit. It has also indefinitely suspended its outpatient consultations for 3D burn screening and mental health, as well as other services.

Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the records department at Gaza’s Health Ministry, said MSF’s suspension would have a significant impact as hundreds of patients are admitted to the maternity and burn wards daily. He said the ministry would take over maternity patient care, but said burn victims won’t have many options.

Israel has been cracking down on aid groups operating in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, including MSF. The group is one of more than three dozen that Israel has banned from operating in the strip for failing to comply with new registration rules.

MSF says Israel’s decision will have a catastrophic impact on its work in Gaza, where it provides funding and international staff for six hospitals and operates two field hospitals and eight primary health centers, clinics and medical points. It also runs two of Gaza’s five stabilization centers, helping children with severe malnutrition.

The toll of war

While the heaviest fighting has subsided, the fragile ceasefire has been seen almost daily Israeli fire. Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes and frequently fire on Palestinians near military-held zones, killing 591 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect, according to Gaza health officials.

Israel’s military on Saturday said its troops “eliminated” a person in northern Gaza who crossed the line dividing the territory and approached them.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said the overall Palestinian death toll from the war is at least 72,051.

The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants. Militants have carried out shooting attacks on troops, and Israel says its strikes are in response to that and other violations. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed.

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Magdy reported from Cairo.

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Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war